With CES in the books and clients looking forward to what’s on the horizon with 2014 and beyond, I decided to sit down and interview some of Accella’s leading minds to se what they see coming up in 2014 and beyond.
Sam: Hi there, Jason. Now that you’re back from CES, could you give us your overall impressions of the show?
Jason: We saw a ton of stuff about mobile health, or mHealth. I think the industry is starting to pick up steam in terms of products for both physicians and patients. Tablets and smartphones are already pretty widely used for healthcare purposes, and I think that’s only going to increase.
S: Where do you see mHealth going?
J: Biometrics is a big movement going on right now – using an iPhone or an Android tablet to track a patient’s blood pressure, body temperature, all the vital signs. The term “diagnostics” is thrown around a fair bit when talking about the trends for 2014, and I think it’s just as true for mHealth as anything else. Mobile users are looking for more ways to access information, whether it’s a physician tending to a patient or a person looking to monitor their heart rate while they’re exercising.
To sum it up, I think the big trend in mHealth will be biometrics, body telemetry, diagnostics – anything that allows for a better understanding of a health situation.
S: With that in mind, how else do you think mobile devices are going to affect healthcare?
J: Of course, no device can ever replace a physician. However, the hope is that mobile devices will eventually let patients meet with their doctors virtually, saving them the time and expense of making a visit to the office or clinic. In short, healthcare might start moving more into the home, which can ultimately make the care process easier and more comfortable for the patient.
S: What advice would you give to current and prospective clients?
J: If you want to stay innovative, you need to start looking for ways to provide your users the feedback and diagnostic information they need from your product, whether it’s a piece of construction equipment, an EKG machine, or a refrigerator. If your product can give them the value they need, it’ll win out over the competition every time.
