Avid blog readers already know that we held the “mHealth Solutions and Policy Forum” on Wednesday with some of the leading medical and policy experts on how wireless technology can play a major role in improving healthcare. While we’re compiling some video clips for you to see and hear these speakers, we thought we’d share some photo highlights of the event.   

Steve Largent, President & CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association®, welcomes medical and policy experts to the “mHealth Solutions and Policy Forum” at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center.

Representative Adam Smith (D-WA-9th) gives a keynote address discussing the importance in deploying cost-effective wireless technology solutions which will reduce healthcare costs and expand affordable healthcare options for millions of people. 
 

Dr. Eric J. Topol demonstrates Corventis’ “smart bandaid” which provides real-time electrocardiogram monitoring.  

 

The first panel of speakers is focusing on “Innovating Through Healthcare Reform: The Mobile Solution.”  Several speakers are medical innovators who are applying existing, commonly used mobile applications to address a variety of chronic care and other health conditions.

Sprint representatives are on-site to showcase live demonstrations of innovative mobility solutions for the healthcare industry.

In the second panel, policy experts are discussing how to keep pace with technology innovation.  

This morning CTIA hosted the “mHealth Solutions and Policy Forum” at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., where officials from the White House, Congress, and CDC, along with policy and medical experts talked about how wireless is a major part of the solution when it comes to addressing America’s chronic care crisis.

Some of the speakers from this morning’s impressive line-up included U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-WA-9, Member of 21st Century Health Care Caucus), Chief Medical Officer of the West Wireless Health Institute and Chief Academic Officer for Scripps Health Dr. Eric Topol and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Dr. Dan Fletcher.

The key point that was reiterated throughout the morning was that the mobile wireless services you use everyday can also be used to improve your personal health. Since mobile wireless services are a part of daily life for more than 270 million Americans (and 4.1 billion individuals worldwide), there is an incredible opportunity to improve the healthcare industry across the board regardless of geographic location, race, age, gender or disability. Considering healthcare spending in America is at $2.2 trillion each year, an all-time high, today’s speakers agreed that mHealth solutions play an important role in healthcare reform.  

Another key point was that the mHealth discussion isn’t just "pie-in-the-sky" but actually used in real-life right now. In fact, several of our speakers have applied existing, commonly used mobile applications to address a variety of chronic care and other health conditions. 

• Dan Fletcher, PhD; White House Office of Science and Technology Policy – oversaw the development of the CellScope, a cameraphone-microscope. The device takes focused pictures at up to 50x magnification, enough to see red blood cells and the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria. Modified versions of the scope can also diagnose tuberculosis, skin conditions, dangerous insect bites and abnormal mole growth
• Jonathan Javitt, M.D., MPH; CEO, Telcare – helped develop the Telcheck™, a glucose meter which transmits daily glucose readings to a patient’s caregiver (e.g. physician, nurse/case manager or pharmacist) and relays daily coaching to the patient. It may also be used to link a child with diabetes to a parent or an elderly parent with diabetes to an adult child. In addition, Telcare will launch the Telflo™ wireless peak flow meter for asthma which combines monitoring technology with wireless communications. Physicians and parents will be alerted when a child falls below respiratory flow safe levels or when a child stops testing in the prescribed manner.
• Justin Sims; CEO, Voxiva – Voxiva’s mHealth applications include appointment reminders, sent via SMS (text), email or phone. Reminders can be two-way so patients can either confirm or cancel their appointments. They also offer “daily diaries,” a personal record to keep track of treatments which can be accessed through the phone, text messages or through a web interface to review or to share with others.
• Richard J. Katz, M.D.; Director, Division of Cardiology and Director, Cheney Cardiovascular Institute, The George Washington University Hospital – principle investigator for a trial using the “Pill Phone” to improve medication adherence of hypertensive medications in a Medicaid population. He is also principle investigator for “DC Health Connect,” a cell phone program to manage diabetes and hypertension in Washington, DC health clinics.
• Jay Bernhardt, M.D.; Director, Center for National Health Marketing, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – currently using emerging mobile technologies to increase the dissemination and potential impact of CDC’s science by reaching wider and more diverse audiences, and tailoring specific health messages to meet unique challenges, such as the response to H1N1 and natural disasters such as hurricanes. The CDC is using mobile technology to facilitate interactive communication and community - thereby empowering people to make healthier and safer decisions. 

Other benefits of wireless health discussed at today’s Forum include:

• Out of the $2.2 trillion we spend on healthcare, $1.4 trillion is spent on treating chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. If patients suffering from chronic conditions agreed to have their doctor monitor them remotely via mobile wireless applications, (i.e. monitor patients’ health and track and guide self-care beyond the doctors’ offices), we would save $21.1 billion per year by reducing emergency care, hospitalization and nursing home costs. 
• Remote monitoring allows the millions of Americans living in rural areas to visit the best doctors’ offices in the country, eliminating healthcare disparities based on geographic location and economic disparities. 
• Healthcare becomes more personal and individualized which means reduction in medical errors, improvements in preventive healthcare and improvements in the medical community’s ability to resolve epidemics
• With the H1N1 (aka swine flu) now being declared a level 6 (meaning a global epidemic is underway), wireless can help to identify and monitor breakouts in areas that may otherwise be undercounted/underreported. This is certainly beneficial for rural areas in the U.S. and also internationally.
  

Regardless of one’s political affiliation, we are at a crossroads on healthcare. In the U.S., we spend $2.4 trillion each year yet we have 46 million uninsured people. This is why President Obama and Congress have been working together to find the right solution.

CTIA, along with medical and health policy experts, believe that part of the solution is something that more than 270 million Americans use daily – their mobile wireless services. 

On Wednesday, June 24th from 8:30-11:30 a.m. (EDT) at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., CTIA is hosting a Technology and Policy Forum on mHealth Solutions for America’s Chronic Care Crisis.

Making healthcare more personal and individualized is expected to reduce medical errors, improve preventive healthcare and significantly improve the medical community’s ability to resolve epidemics. Mobile wireless solutions are a part of the consumer-focused healthcare movement and the wave of the future. 

We’ve gathered together an impressive line-up of medical and policy experts for the event including, U.S. Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA-9) and Jim Cooper (D-TN-5), Chief Medical Officer of the West Wireless Health Institute and Chief Academic Officer for Scripps Health Dr. Eric Topol, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Dr. Dan Fletcher, and Vice President of Global Health for the UN Foundation Dr. Dan Carucci.

Below is a brief snapshot of the schedule: 

Keynote remarks will be given by: 

• U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-WA, 9th District)
• Eric J. Topol, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, West Wireless Health Institute; Chief Academic Officer, Scripps Health

Panel I:  Innovating Through Healthcare Reform:  The Mobile Solution
Panel II:  Policy Solutions – Keeping Pace with Technology Innovation

For information on how to RSVP or to view a copy of the full agenda and list of speakers, please click here.  We hope you will be able to join us!  Otherwise, make sure to visit our blog after the event when we’ll provide a recap and some videos. 

To get an idea of what’s to come at next week’s mHealth Solutions and Policy Forum, watch this one-on-one interview with Dr. Topol.  I had a chance to sit-down with Dr. Topol to talk about mHealth earlier this spring when he was a keynote speaker at the International CTIA WIRELESS 2009® tradeshow in Las Vegas.  

 In addition, here are some clips of Dr. Topol’s informative keynote address.

• Remote Monitoring
• Wireless Cuts Healthcare
• Wireless Medicine Top Ten
• High Hopes for Wireless Mobile

Finally, here’s a video segment that highlights the public and private sectors joining together to use wireless for a promotional campaign on HIV/AIDS testing for young people.

May 23rd marks the “Silver Anniversary” for CTIA-The Wireless Association®. From the “car” phone to the smartphone, there’s no doubt that the wireless industry has seen a remarkable transformation in the last 25 years. 

With fewer than 20 member companies, CTIA was originally called the “Cellular Communications Industry Association” and was officially incorporated on May 23, 1984. 

The wireless landscape in the U.S. was very different 25 years ago. Here’s a brief snapshot of what wireless looked like in May 1984:

• Less than 50,000 wireless subscribers in America.
• Wireless service was only available in six U.S. cities.
• Consumers paid more than $2,000 for a cellular device.
• First portable cell phone models, or “brick” phones, weighed nearly two pounds and had only around 30 minutes of talk time.

Fast forward to today and CTIA-The Wireless Association® has more than 300 member companies. These companies represent 87% of the total U.S. population – or 270 million + wireless subscribers – making it one of the fastest growing and competitive industries in history. In addition, consumers in today’s marketplace can:

• Purchase a handset for less than $100.
• Choose from more than 630 wireless devices.
• Pay an average of only $50 per month for service. 

From 1984 to the 3G broadband world of 2009, wireless has evolved from simple voice communications to a new era of data transmission and democratization of communications that has transformed the way we work, play and live.
 
The wireless industry continues to meet the increasing consumer demand for advanced wireless services, as indicated by record-breaking subscribers and an impressive array of usage and wireless statistics. 

Cheers to the last 25 years of impressive growth and innovation in the world of wireless! We are looking forward to many more. 

Dr. Jay M. Bernhardt, the Director of the National Center for Health Marketing at the CDC, sat down with us for our March WOW's Insider Interview to talk about novel case studies of wireless technology enhancing public health initiatives around the world. Dr. Bernhardt also shares  his perspective on the enormous value wireless technology can provide by providing access to information and creating a personal channel of communication between health care providers and patients. Come check out what else Dr. Berhnardt has to say as well as what else we have to offer in our March installment of CTIA’s Wonder of Wireless webcast.

Sharp Electonics’ use of wireless applications to streamline their field operations and reporting has revolutionized how they and their clients perform.  By eliminating paperwork and creating instantaneous results, Sharp has gained a competitive edge using wireless technology. Come check out what else we have to offer in our March installment of CTIA’s Wonder of Wireless webcast.

In March's installment of WOW, we interview Dr. Jay M. Bernhardt, the Director of the National Center for Health Marketing at the CDC. He chats with us about some novel case studies of wireless technology enhancing public health initiatives around the world. To see what Dr. Bernhard has to say and his perspective on the enormous value wireless technology can provide by providing access to information and creating a personal channel of communication between health care providers and patients check out CTIA's Wonder of Wireless webcast!

Remember the old 'The Who' song, Goin' Mobile?  "I can pull up by the curb, I can make it on the road, goin' mobile. I can stop in any street and talk with people that we meet. Goin' Mobile. Keep me moving. Out in the woods, or in the city, it's all the same to me........ the world's my home when I'm mobile".  It was a great tune when it was released back in 1971, and it certainly could be the wireless industry's anthem today! Find out how AT&T wants to help you go mobile, everywhere, all of the time, in this interview with Glenn Lurie, the President of Emerging Devices and Resale,  AT&T. Glenn tells us about his new position at AT&T and their mission of introducing wireless capabilities into a whole host of emerging devices far beyond just mere handsets in a segment from our  January edition of the CTIA Wonder of Wireless webcast.