Jessica Mulholland is the associate editor of GOVERNING, and is also the associate editor of both Government Technology and Public CIO magazines.
E-mail: jmulholland@governing.comTwitter: @governing
Health & Human Services
Texting to Better Health
Patients want better access to care, even if they receive it via a text message.
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As the days of traditional paper and file medical records start to fade, health care delivery is following suit. Patients want better access to care, and the methods in which they'd like to receive it are diverse.
Would you be comfortable receiving a text message with your blood test results? What if the text message was about a new medication or remedy for whatever ails you? The majority of the population wouldn't be willing to get their information this way, according to a Pricewaterhouse Coopers report, but some (perhaps the Millennials) would be happy to get it via their smartphone.
Most people, however, would rather receive their health-care information via the Internet, according to Top 10 health industry issues in 2010: Squeezing the juice out of healthcare - possibly because viewing is a bit more controlled, versus a text message that can pop up at any time of the day or night.
Whether it happens via cell phone or e-mail, what could this increased access to our health information outside physicians' offices and hospitals ultimately mean?
The primary implication is engagement: When patients are engaged in their health status, especially when there is chronic illness such as diabetes, disease management and home health care will likely improve.
An engaged patient + constant feedback on his health = a healthier patient. Right?
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