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VIDEO: Smartphone applications show promise in medical practice
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NEW ORLEANS — In this video from the National Lipid Association Scientific Sessions, John Higgins, MD, MBA, MPhil, discusses advancements in smartphone application technology and the implications for helping patients maintain a healthy lifestyle.
These apps can be especially helpful to those in low-income households; recent data has shown that at least 50% of individuals from poor households use smartphones, Higgins said.
“This is a great opportunity ... particularly for people that have difficulty with access to medical care to effect change in their lifestyles,” Higgins, from UT Health Science Center, Houston, said.
While most health and fitness smartphone apps started out as ways to monitor sleep, diet and physical activity in conjunction with a wristband, apps have evolved to help educate the user, he said.
According to Higgins, the next step for apps will be diagnosis. Already apps have surfaced that are capable of using technology to help diagnose arrhythmias as well as check cholesterol and risk for diabetes.
“I think the future holds a lot of promise for apps,” he said. “[Doctors and patients are] going to be able to communicate information to each other and ultimately improve [patients’] health and wellness.”