Democratizing Global Health Care Through Scalable Emergent (Beyond the Mobile) Wireless Technologies

Abstract

Advances in mobile phone technologies coupled with the availability of modern wireless networks are beginning to have a marked impact on digital health through the growing array of apps and connected devices. That said, limited deployment outside of developed nations will require additional approaches to collectively reach the 8 billion people on earth. Another consideration for development of digital health centered around mobile devices lies in the need for pairing steps, firmware updates, and a variety of user inputs, which can increase friction for the patient. An alternate, so-called Beyond the Mobile approach where medicaments, devices, and health services communicate directly to the cloud offers an attractive means to expand and fully realize our connected health utopia. In addition to offering highly personalized experiences, such approaches could address cost, security, and convenience concerns associated with smartphone-based systems, translating to improved engagement and adherence rates among patients. Furthermore, connecting these Internet of Medical Things instruments through next-generation networks offers the potential to reach patients with acute needs in nonurban regions of developing nations. Herein, we outline how deployment of Beyond the Mobile technologies through low-power wide-area networks could offer a scalable means to democratize digital health and contribute to improved patient outcomes globally.