Editors note: This month on TechSource, we’re focusing on telehealth, showcasing success stories and interviews with subject-matter experts in areas that enable telehealth. Today, we’re tapping into our partner network and featuring a piece by Audie Hittle, CTO, EMC Isilon Federal, on mobility and healthcare. The following post was originally published on EMC’s Government Perspectives blog.
Mobile. You’ve heard the term a million times now. You know that the trend has exploded recently as more and more citizens access and share information across a variety of devices, and it’s only expected to continue growing over time. In fact, IDC predicts that tablets alone will grow at double-digit rates over the next three years in the government IT market.
Driven by federal initiatives such as the Digital Government Strategy and demand from both citizens and employees, more and more agencies are exploring mobile solutions as a way to deliver better services. The phenomenon is redefining the way that we interact with government, the way we consume and generate information, and ultimately, the way we work.
Just take the federal healthcare market, for instance. Physicians can now use mobile devices to access patient data in an instant, transforming the traditional doctor visit by increasing collaboration and engagement with the patient and making care coordination much easier. Together with big data, the technology holds tremendous potential for doctors working in the field and remote locations. As I mentioned at the June 17, 2014 HIMSS Government Health IT Conference, 63 percent of federal executives and leaders say big data will track and manage population health more efficiently, and 60 percent say it will enhance the ability to deliver preventive care services. Another presenter at the conference noted that 9 out of 10 doctors would recommend a mobile app to their patients to facilitate awareness and information sharing. Since the data can be accessible from any location and any source, providers can quickly pull up critical information to provide the best care possible, without limitations from unwieldy infrastructures, wires or IT systems.
My colleague Rohit Ghai recently posted a blog on this topic, and I encourage you to read it if you’d like to learn more. We’re in the midst of an exciting transformation around mobile technology in government, and I’m excited to see what’s next.
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