Cellular phones have come a long way since the 1980’s. The first time I ever saw a mobile phone was in the movie Sixteen Candles. It was a car phone that Anthony Michael Hall was talking on. I remember laughing out loud when I saw him the phone. The phone was clunky and heavy looking to me. The phone’s battery was just as big. In 1984, you you talked on a phone that was tethered to an electrical outlet or cradled in the phone’s external battery pack. Fast forward to 2011 to a highly sophisticated 4G network. Phones are either smart, feature rich, or for those that haven’t converted relatively no features. You have the option to talk, text, email and browse. An all in one communication tool that allows you to send and receive information from anywhere and anytime from around the world.
Mobile phones have the power to connect you to information at the point of need. A tool that can reach users in the most remote areas of the world. A call can save your life. Data can be transmitted and uploaded into databases for analysis. GPS can record and track your location to save your life. How can this tool redefine electronic healthcare service delivery? How can providers reach patients at the point of need? How can providers communicate to patients in between appointments. Can providers continue to educate their patients electronically without being intrusive? I seek to research and understand these issues better. The journey has begun.
Tammy A. Magid 