mHealth: Don't Forget All the Stakeholders in the Business Case.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Healthcare Technology

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) integrates patient-generated data with electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical decision support systems.
• mHealth has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
• Understanding the diverse stakeholders and their impact is essential for mHealth's successful implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key stakeholders involved in the mHealth ecosystem.
• To explore the potential effects of mHealth on various stakeholder groups.
• To highlight existing challenges and ongoing initiatives in the mHealth landscape.

Main Methods:

• Stakeholder analysis framework applied to the mHealth market.
• Review of current mHealth initiatives and their objectives.
• Identification of primary and secondary stakeholder categories.

Main Results:

• Primary stakeholders include patients, families, clinicians, and healthcare facilities.
• Secondary stakeholders encompass vendors, policymakers, and researchers.
• Significant concerns include data privacy, security, funding, and the need for efficacy demonstration.

Conclusions:

• mHealth offers transformative potential for healthcare by linking patient data and clinical systems.
• Addressing stakeholder concerns and demonstrating cost-effectiveness are critical for widespread adoption.
• Numerous initiatives are underway in America and Europe to overcome current mHealth challenges.