As the app market continues to explode, smartphones are becoming more than just a source of connectivity for consumers—they are becoming data hubs. From picture editing and calorie counting to mobile payment of goods, consumers are trusting their smartphones with every aspect of their lives.
It should come as no surprise, then, consumers are starting to warm up to the idea of using their smartphones to both store and communicate medical information. According to a report released in November of last year from CEA (Consumer Electronics Assn.), www.ce.org, 36% of consumers said they would be interested in sending health data to their doctor via a wireless device, and 33% said they were interested in managing their health records online.
A new iPhone app from Giffen Solutions Inc., www.medxcom.com, builds on both of those trends, offering consumers a way to wirelessly store and update their personal health profiles and communicate directly with their doctors. Called MedXVault, the free app allows patients to manage, store, and access their complete health profile, including medications, allergies, medical conditions, past surgical histories, immunizations, and contact and insurance information.
The app is used in conjunction with MedXCom, Giffen’s HIPAA-compliant, Web-based communications and health information network platform. When used together, patients have the ability to upload lab, radiology, and other important reports and information securely while granting access to the appropriate doctor on their health team.
Catering to consumers’ desire for social networking, MedXVault’s status update even allows users to notify their doctor instantly of important information such as an unexpected trip to the emergency room. The app also has news feeds and gives patients the ability to create and join support groups, obtain reviews of the latest medical literature, post photos, and receive medical information from their health team.
According to the Michael Nusbaum, CEO of Giffen Solutions, a main feature of the software is that it centralizes all of a patient’s medical records into one comprehensive medical record, whereas now medical records are hidden within multiple doctors’ EMRs (electronic medical records).
What’s more is this shifts ownership and management of medical information from the physician to the patient, which makes more sense. That means the patient is the one granting access to the physician—not the other way around. If this app sticks with consumers, the industry may just see, as Nusbaum says, “a revolution in the way patients and their physicians share information.” |