| The care industry has experienced significant | | | | easily accessible over time. |
| culture changes following the drive to support | | | | GPRS, Edge, and even 3G data services are now |
| independent living and provision of care in the | | | | available on many mid-price mobile phones and the |
| community. These changes driven by the | | | | integration of mapping technologies GIS and GPS |
| government have also placed significant challenges | | | | with mobile technologies lets users "tag" voice and |
| on our work practices. | | | | data communication to a particular location or |
| As care provider organizations look to improve | | | | series of locations effectively providing the |
| service delivery and provide the auditable | | | | potential of extending Telecare and Lone Worker |
| evidence that satisfies national and local | | | | service delivery far beyond the confines of the |
| performance targets, many are now looking to | | | | home. New broadband access technologies (e.g. |
| increase deployment of mobile technology to | | | | WiMAX) offering enhanced web, e-mail and voice |
| further enhance service provision. | | | | over internet (VoIP) services at a fraction of the |
| For many years the mobile phone as a delivery | | | | cost of current 3G technology and Wireless Long |
| device was somewhat ignored. By comparison | | | | Distance [WiLD] providing broadband over |
| care service providers in developing countries | | | | distances of up to 200kms from a single source. |
| began to understand the advantages of the | | | | A comprehensive report from the wireless |
| mobile phone and the expansion of wireless | | | | industry (Wireless Healthcare, 2005) lists 101 |
| networks offered the opportunity to deliver | | | | specific health-related activities that can be |
| services to low - and middle income countries. | | | | conducted using mobile phones such as reminders |
| As of May 2008, the number of global mobile | | | | about appointments and medication, the use of a |
| phone subscribers has grown to over 3.4 billion | | | | SIM card to hold medical data, peer support for |
| and is projected to grow to 5.2 billion by 2011. | | | | patients, support for health professionals making a |
| Mobile technologies therefore enable Telecare | | | | diagnosis, and data collection, along with using |
| providers to decentralize and extend their reach | | | | phones to control inventory and to contact |
| to remote settings as well as to individual | | | | emergency services. All in all, a plethora of ways |
| members with a comparatively smaller | | | | in which lone worker safety is improved and the |
| investment in technology infrastructure. | | | | ability to complete day to day tasks effectively. |
| As technologies go, mobile phones are flexible and | | | | While the UK health community might debate the |
| familiar for the end user and currently GSM and | | | | future of the mobile phone within our industry, |
| 3G based CDMA networks provide coverage to | | | | healthcare individuals around the world are already |
| homes, workplaces, and even remote rural areas. | | | | using mobile technologies to access care services |
| In the short term questions still persist about the | | | | provided by the software applications on mobile |
| future form developing mobile technologies will | | | | phones. Industry visionaries, like mobile industry |
| take but there is no doubt that the capabilities of | | | | expert, Jeffrey Sachs at Columbia University in |
| today's Smartphone's (e.g. the Apple iPhone or | | | | the US, predicts; "the cell phone is the single most |
| Nokia N95) to download applications when required | | | | transformative technology for development. |
| will become more affordable and therefore more | | | | |