Mobile technology has been embraced by pharmacies and doctors to allow patients to better monitor their own health. While not new – remote machine to machine (M2M) devices were the earliest uses in the Internet of Things (IoT) – this new wave of technology is being driven by patient needs.
According to Brian Tilzer, chief digital officer of CVS Health:
At CVS Health, everything we do is aimed helping people on their path to better health. Mobile is now a huge part of people’s lives, and we want to empower our customers to manage their health wherever they are.
CVS Health has long been on the cutting edge of technology to combine the customer experience and the physical pharmacy. The latest addition to their mobile app is Apple Watch integration for easier prescription refills. Users will have the same capabilities on their mobile device. They will be able to scan their paper prescription or refill request on their mobile device for convenience.
Customers will also have access to MedRemind, a new feature to the app that monitors medication intake reminding users when to take their next dose or if they have forgotten to take one.
Empowering patients is just what a new slew of doctor prescribed apps aims to achieve. Health apps that users download on their own have been popular for years. But now, these new apps are mandated as part of the recovery process for patients who have had major surgeries, for instance.
Apps being tested by hospitals include, ones that monitor patient pain, prescribe physical therapy exercises or even monitor medical equipment usage. Patients can now go longer between visits as their doctor is able to observe them remotely for any unexpected changes. Patients can now become a part of their own recovery process by watching their own results.
As technology advances and more people are using mobile devices to keep an eye their health, it only seems natural that these two worlds would collide to create better patient advocacy tools. Now embraced by pharmacies, doctors, and hospitals, mobile apps provide the link between patients and their care.
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