Health and Smart Phones

This page is written by Vivian Nguyen

Mobile phones have incredible potential for the future of healthcare, especially in underdeveloped parts of the world. Currently, they allow for easy, quick access to medical information, however, they hold the promise of so much more in the very near future.

Medical Possibilities with Mobile Phones

There are two primary obstacles with medical care in underdeveloped regions: lack of funding for expensive medical machinery, and minimal availability of/proximity to medical specialists. While expensive imaging machines and knowledgeable physicians are hard to come by, cell phones are incredibly prevalent throughout the world. Even in rural areas, many individuals are armed with these gadgets. In 2009, 6 in every 10 individuals worldwide had a cell phone subscription, and since then, the number has only grown.[1] As cell phones become even more ubiquitous, the possibilities for their utility only increases exponentially.

Telemedicine

One of cell phones first medical purposes is telemedicine, otherwise known as mobile phone medicine. Telemedicine allows remote clinicians to access specialists from far away more efficiently. One successful example of telemedicine at work is the Botswana-UPenn Partnership. Clinicians in Botswana upload patient information and photographs via a telemedicine website or email, which is subsequently accessed by medical specialists at Penn (see upper image, left: A doctor takes a cell phone image of an x-ray scan.). These specialists are able to make diagnoses and prescribe treatments based off the provided information. This significantly cuts down turnaround time for treatment from weeks to sometimes less than one day. As of 2010, telemedicine in Botswana has been piloted in dermatology, radiology, cervical cancer, and oral medicine - a remarkable breakthrough in a country where roadways, landlines, and Internet service are minimal.[2]

Medical Imaging

A more spectacular result of cell phone aid in medical treatment is their use with medical imaging. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three-fourths of the worlds population does not have access to medical imaging machinery - a critical aspect of healthcare.[3] Furthermore, even among medical machines available in poorer areas, roughly 50% of them go unused because they require repair.[4] However, Boris Rubinsky, a bioengineering professor at UC Berkeley, has found a low budget solution to this high budget problem.

Rudimentary diagram of EIT imaging technology used in conjunction with mobile phones.

Medical imaging occurs in three steps: 1) taking measurements from the patient, 2) computer processing of the measurements and production of an image, and 3) image display on a monitor and doctor review and diagnosis. Normally, these three processes all occur within one large, expensive machine. However, by separating these steps and connecting them through cell phones, Rubinsky significantly reduced the cost of performing medical imaging. Since only the data gathering part needs to be with the patient, the second two steps can be outsourced to another location perhaps a more industrialized country with highly trained specialists.

A cell phone image of a breast tumor.

Rubinsky first tested his medical imaging system with EIT (electrical impedance tomography) imaging technology, which can be used to detect breast tumors. Using a simple, inexpensive device connected to a cell phone to take voltage measurements from a sample of breast tissue, the raw data is sent via text message to a central processing computer. The data is computed, an image is produced, and a specialist is able to study the image and make a diagnosis. Finally, the diagnosis can be sent back to the patient, thereby saving thousands of dollars and providing medical treatment to the patient who may have otherwise gone untreated. By separating the components of the medical imaging process and using cell phones to perform simpler processes and transfer information, Rubinsky has "essentially replicated a $10,000 piece of equipment for just hundreds of dollars".[5]

Simple device can be attached to a mobile phone to aid in medical imaging.

By creating simple, relatively inexpensive attachments that can be added to a cell phone, researchers are able to turn cell phones into medical devices that are able to aid in the medical imaging process. Dan Fletcher, another bioengineering professor at UC Berkeley, has developed an attachment that can turn the digital cameras on mobile phones into a microscope. This microscope can be used to accurately identify the malaria parasite. Furthermore, the device allows transmission of an image over the mobile network, allowing remote diagnosis and illness monitoring.[6]

Other Applications

But cell phones in the healthcare system do not just have far reaching affects in rural areas with minimal healthcare - they are also beneficial in highly populated, medically advanced regions. In June 2008, Life Record, a software company, released an application that allows individuals to access their medical records. This application gives patients the ability to access all of their medical information - from X-rays to physicians notes and more. This especially comes in handy when patients are visiting a new doctor or specialist who may not have all of their medical history readily available.[7] Cell phones can also help patients with chronic illnesses live more independently. One of BeWell Mobiles (a medical software company) applications allows asthma or diabetes sufferers enter their home test results into their cell phones and send them to the doctor daily.[8]

Cell phones have the potential to significantly alter global healthcare for the better. By connecting patients in rural areas to specialists and advanced healthcare that they would have otherwise not been able to access, cell phones can help underdeveloped countries lengthen lifespans and lessen easily preventable health issues. As cell phones become even more prevalent, their possibilities in healthcare only increase, holding promises of a healthier - and happier - future.

References

  1. ^ World's poor drive growth in global cellphone use USA Today
    Article about how cell phone use has grown globally, even in underdeveloped countries.
  2. ^ Connecting cell phones with medicine in Botswana Penn Current
    Article in UPenn newspaper that describes the UPenn-Botswana Partnership that allows specialists at UPenn to communicate with clinicians in Botswana and provide healthcare advice remotely.
  3. ^ Better Medicine Through Cell Phones Science Friday
    Article about Professor Rubinsky and his group's research on connecting a small device to a cell phone in order to take medical images to be processed remotely.
  4. ^ Medical Advices - Through Your iPhone? Businessweek
    This article explores the possibilities of using mobile phones in place of expensive medical devices in parts of the world that have limited access to complex medical equipment.
  5. ^ Mobile-phone microscopes: Doctor on call Economist
    Article about research that has created simple accessories that are able to turn mobile phones into useful medical imaging devices.