Healthcare costs continue to rise in both China and the United States as procedures become more expensive and longer life expectancies leave a large portion of the population dependent on government healthcare. At the same time, cellphone use and penetration are also growing in both countries; China and the US rank among the countries with the highest number of mobile phones per capita. With the proliferation of mobile technology, the mHealth industry presents many opportunities for improving healthcare globally. mHealth technology can lower the price of health care, increase administrative efficiency, monitor and guide patient health, and help policy makers gather data on healthcare. However, there are many barriers preventing mHealth from reaching its full potential. How can we use mHealth to solve pressing healthcare concerns?
Brookings Hosts mHealth Experts from US and China
On March 13, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings will host an event to discuss mobile health in China and the United States. The event will begin with welcoming remarks from Darrell West, Vice President of Governance Studies and Yu Xiaohui, Chief Engineer from the China Academy of Telecommunications Research of MIIT (CATR). Darrell West and Li Haihua, also of CATR, will then present the paper co-authored by the Brookings Institution and CATR. Finally Darrell West, Gigi Sorenson NAH Director of Telehealth at the Flagstaff Medical Center, Yu Xiaohui, and Li Haihua will participate in a panel discussion. Panelists will address numerous issues related to this complex problem including the barriers preventing mHealth initiatives from realizing their full potential. They will discuss the challenges and opportunities that the new field of mHealth creates. Finally we will explore how to develop national frameworks to empower mHealth providers and address important problems in healthcare.
Join the Conversation
If you are interested in attending you may find the information to RSVP here. If you are unable to attend in person but would still like to watch the event please join the webcast online. To join the conversation, please tweet at the hash tag #mHealth.
Commentary
Opportunities and Challenges in mHealth: China and the United States
March 12, 2014