Oncologist Use of Digital Tools

Advances in wireless technology have given so many opportunities to the development of mobile health platforms, also known as telehealth, telemedicine, eHealth, and digital health. These amazing technologies offer a great opportunity for healthcare providers to remotely deliver high-quality care. The possibilities are endless for the clinical application of mHealth, including tools for payers, decision support, patient support, educational purposes, drug formularies, or medical uses. 


Moreover, the number of smartphone owners currently using a mobile medical app is expected to increase to 3.4 billion by 2018. This shift will make patients the consumers of healthcare, empowering them to be the driving force managing their own health through mobile devices and wearable technology.

As smartphones replace wallets, online banking, printed books, photo albums, and cameras, mobile devices are beginning to reshape many medical functionalities. In view of the fact that 83% of physicians are using smartphones and medical apps to provide patient care, the traditional medical landscape is changing dramatically, with the goal of delivering less expensive, but at the same time high-quality care.

Mobile health technology may improve access to specialized medicine, provide more effective preventive care, increase monitoring of chronic conditions, and lead to better patient outcomes in general. Most popular trends include wireless patient monitoring, personal health record access via patient portals, mobilemedical devices, and virtual consultation. Health-related applications that are currently in use include patient communication, access to Internet resources, point-of-care documentation, disease management, educational programs, professional communication, administrative functions, ambulatory services, public health, and clinical trials. Moreover, the rapid development of mHealth applications has expanded telehealth services to smartphones, tablets, and laptops to deliver precision medicine to patients and families in the comfort of their own home.

The FDA has also approved imaging apps, allowing radiologists to interpret images or ophthalmologists using color vision plates for clinical evaluation when a more traditional viewing platform is not available. Digital images are a type of store-and-forward technology, which permits the electronic transmission of medical files that can be used at the convenience of providers to then make diagnoses and recommendations and formulate treatment plans. As technology advances on a daily basis, devices that provide real-time data monitoring and biometric measurements can give healthcare providers immediate information to help in clinical decision making.

While still under development, Cicer, a monitor that tracks pulse, respiration, blood, and oxygen through the use of predictive algorithms, can stream data to providers. iTBra is currently being developed to help with the early detection of breast cancer without requiring a mammogram. And Aira has developed wearable glasses that stream live videos to agents who provide help with navigation and assistance to patients who are blind or have low vision. These advancements have the potential to revolutionize technology and medicine.


mHealth could provide an opportunity for a new type of communication. The traditional periodic patient visit has the potential to be combined with more frequent, continuous digital communication for more effective care. This increased communication has the potential to complement the classic approach and encourage patients to better understand their health and become active participants in their care. A fully improvedmHealth system may result in fewer physician visits, better symptom management, and decreased healthcare.

Location: New York, NY, USA

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