Mobile health technology: a novel tool in chronic disease management

Abstract

The successful control of chronic diseases mainly depends on how well patients manage their disease conditions with the aid of healthcare providers. Mobile health technology—also known as mHealth—supports healthcare practice by means of mobile devices such as smartphone applications, web-based technologies, telecommunications services, social media, and wearable technology, and is becoming increasingly popular. Many studies have evaluated the utility of mHealth as a tool to improve chronic disease management through monitoring and feedback, educational and lifestyle interventions, clinical decision support, medication adherence, risk screening, and rehabilitation support. The aim of this article is to summarize systematic reviews addressing the effect of mHealth on the outcome of patients with chronic diseases. We describe the current applications of various mHealth approaches, evaluate their effectiveness as well as limitations, and discuss potential challenges in their future development. The evidence to date indicates that none of the existing mHealth technologies are inferior to traditional care. Telehealth and web-based technologies are the most frequently reported interventions, with promising results ranging from alleviation of disease-related symptoms, improvement in medication adherence, and decreased rates of rehospitalization and mortality. The new generation of mHealth devices based on various technologies are likely to provide more efficient and personalized healthcare programs for patients.