Clinical and informational applications in mobile health technology

¶ … health-related apps have you found most useful and informative? How can we distinguish between those apps which have genuine clinical or treatment importance as opposed to others which are simply informational?

Several health-related apps have been developed that are both interesting and potentially life-saving. One very important app is the blood alcohol concentration checker, which allows the user to 'punch in' how his or her alcohol intake and his or her vital statistics, potentially preventing dangerous drinking and driving. Another potential life saver is the Epocrates Rx app which allows users to see how the pills they are taking interact with one another and if they are contraindicated to be taken together (Springen 2012). Glucose Buddy is described as "a diabetic's best friend" and allows diabetics to track glucose levels, diet, and exercise so the patient can discuss it with his or her doctor (Springen 2012). iBP offers a similar service for blood sugar. All of these have potentially useful clinical and treatment applications, versus apps which track weight loss and exercise (which can be convenient but just as easily tracked on paper).

Q2. "Cloud computing" and secure off-site back-up and storage (tetrabytes ) are very hot topics. Can you succinctly explain what such things are and what they are intended to do, with examples?

Cloud computing offers software or a platform to users to enable them to "to use, maintain and upgrade" data and conduct business processes without having the actual apparatus on-site (Viswanathan 2012). Third-party providers sell hosted services to clients. The advantages to cloud computing is that backup and recovery is easy, "since all your data is stored in the cloud, backing it up and restoring the same is relatively much easier than storing the same on a physical device," and cloud computing enables easier integration and ready access to information given that the outside provider manages the data (Viswanathan 2012). Cloud computing and other off-site back-up means that there is no need for the company to have a built-in software infrastructure. The main downside to cloud computing is if something goes wrong with the provider of the cloud, the entire system and its data could be compromised. Network and connectivity problems with the provider could result in the entire system becoming inaccessible, bringing productivity to a standstill. Finally "before adopting this technology, you should know that you will be surrendering all your company's sensitive information to a third-party cloud service provider" (Viswanathan 2012).

Q3. Informal Poll: smart phones and tablets, which features and capabilities have you found most and least desirable?