Updated June 08, 2015.
We are so lucky to watch evolution happen in such a short time right in front of our eyes; in the palm of our hands, really. Whereas humans, animals, and plants took millions of years to change, we are able to watch a new kind of evolution within the bite of less than a decade, like an animation flip-book stuck on fast-forward.
The emerging industry known as "mobile health technology", sometimes referred to as "mHealth", has been the collision of ever-shrinking consumer device technology (both in size and in price) with traditional medical supplies.
Researchers, developers, and clinicians are taking advantage of the portability of the cell phone to create ways to connect patients to their medical care team virtually every minute of every day. Data points like blood pressure, blood sugar, and electrocardiogram readings can be sent via text from anywhere the patient uses these tools to their doctor's office. The doctor or nurse can then send back messages to their patients that either urge them to take action because their readings were abnormal, or motivate them to keep up the good work. They can exchange diet and exercise logs, and remind patients that it's time to take their medication (and also remind them of proper dosage).
When it comes right down to it, technology, pills and procedures aside, medical care is about communication between a doctor and a patient. Connected health programs and mHealth technology enhance this dialogue by making it more current, which can lead to better health management.
AliveCor's Heart Monitor
What does it do?
- Records
- Displays
- Stores
- Transfers
Who can use it?
AliveCor has been approved for sale and use in the United States by the FDA to licensed medical professionals and prescribed patients.
What does it look like?
AliveCor's Mobile Heart Monitor is a Class II medical device that snaps onto the back of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s. It looks and acts like a phone case that you would snap to the back of your phone normally to protect the phone from breaking. Once attached, the device wirelessly communicates with the app downloaded to the phone.
How does it work?
The device, the case described above, snaps onto the back of the iPhone 4 or 4S. Then you download AliveCor's free AliveECG app from Apple's App Store. Open the app and create your own account. Now you are able to record ECGs.
In addition to the AliveCor monitor device, and the AliveECG app, the third piece of the process is the web. At AliveCor.com you can log into your account and access your ECGs. AliveCor has created a system that is secure, encrypted, and HIPAA-compliant.
The AliveCor Mobile Heart Monitor measures the heart's electrical impulses, as well as heart rate. For more in-depth information about electrocardiograms written by a cardiologist and reviewed by About.com's Medical Review Board, see:
- The Electrocardiogram (ECG): What is it used for?, by Richard N. Fogoros, M.D.
- Here is an example of an ECG.
For an excellent discussion about the FDA Classification system for medical devices, as well as more about mobile devices for use as medical devices read Priya Viswanathan's, Tips to Get FDA Clearance for Your Medical Mobile Device.
And for more info about Connected Health programs and mobile health technology, see: