An explosion of converging technologies and super trends in medical electronic products have roiled together over the past 2 years and shaped a disruptive combination for the medical industry call Mobile Health (mHealth). There is an old aerospace motto prevalent in that industries' push to improve time-to-market and increase competitiveness "Faster, Better, Cheaper." mHealth steps it up by adding "Connected" and "Convenient" to this trio making an extraordinarily challenging environment for the healthcare industry that is now thoroughly intertwined with the Mobile Application, AppCessory, Analytics and Wireless industries. Much like aerospace the healthcare industry and its myriad devices and processes was for decades moving at its own pace.

mHealth Connectivity Defining the Future of Healthcare

Today, the proliferation of medical devices and their applications (often controlled by mobile devices) are everywhere; in hospitals and clinics, in patients homes, on their phones and tablets and on their bodies as they work and play, making treating and diagnosing more expedient and stretching security of information systems to the limit. Some fields seemed immune to this influx, certain disciplines such as spinal surgeries, implantable devices, but in a short time it has become clear that this is not the case. Wireless communications and the Big Data Analytics performed on supercomputing cloud platforms have brought tremendous breakthroughs even here.

Medical Device Connectivity via wireless devices, sophisticated analytics and information security features are employed by an ever increasing number of medical devices. Studies indicate that 50% of people say this will improve health care, while 86% of physicians believe that these inter-connected devices and applications will become essential to physicians for management of health care over the next 5 years. As a matter of fact, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to review a record number of mHealth apps in 2015 as companies answer to demand for more sophisticated mHealth devices.

Mobile technology is, as with so many other fields, defining the future of healthcare. Recent trends show decisively, that patients do not want to pay for this extra convenience. Therefore, companies that focus on reimbursement strategies of connecting the patient to the healthcare ecosystems will be creating these applications with a dual purpose, by providing the analytics and outcomes that are needed for caregivers to get paid. Companies who are on board early are aware that it is this type of innovation that allows them to stay in the game and they will take market share from those who lag behind in adopting it.

In 2015 privacy will yield to accessibility as patients embrace the myriad of digital devices and their services emerging on the market. Gamification, and do-it-yourself tools will be what keeps them motivated and engaged; improving one dull and typically less controllable point in health care programs, patient compliance. Reimbursement models based upon the health information that these systems collect and analyze will begin to provide quantifiable data to support outcomes-based results. This will drive change as it begins to remove the physician from the feedback loop thereby driving change in this culture. As real, meaningful, useful and real-time data becomes available caregivers will relinquish control of certain aspect of care, but gain tremendous insight and decision-supporting information.

Connected and intuitive electronic devices prescribed by clinicians can accomplish so much when acting in concert to satisfy the public's yearning for convenience that Qualcomm has created an X Prize competition of its own to usher this era in. The 10 million dollar "Tricorder" prize will undergo consumer testing, in 2015 and final judging in early 2016.

The devices are expected to accurately diagnose 16 health conditions - 13 required core conditions and a choice of three elective conditions - in addition to capturing five real-time health vital signs, independent of a health care worker or facility, and in a way that provides a compelling consumer experience."

The next audacious dare will be not only seamless, streaming secure and HIPAA-compliant data from these colossally capable devices, but genuine interactive systems. Once systems are truly interactive a more complete well-rounded suite of care models that address core issues affecting outcomes and management of chronic health can be developed to better manage high-expense conditions in much lower-cost locations.

Finally, in just 15 years Millennials, the generation shaped by the internet revolution will make up 75% of the work force. Millennials value technologies that deliver personalized experiences, real-time feedback, flexibility, and convenience. They are using mobile technologies to create communities of personalized support, to socialize and interact with the world. Their impact is driving companies to reconsider how to accomplish these advances in the New Health Economy.

If you're looking to stretch your business' budget this year, outsourcing some of your day-to-day tasks to one of the many managed services companies is a great way to kick start the savings. Managed Service Providers (MSP's) are still a best kept secret in modern business strategies; they promote efficiency and extend the resources of companies who utilize them, but many small to mid-level business owners are not aware of their existence.

Managed Services Companies

Lighten Your Employees' Load

Have your employees ever raised concerns about being overwhelmed by their workload? The answer is likely "no," but that may only mean that they hesitate to complain, not that they aren't overworked or stretched too thin with tasks that aren't outlined in their job descriptions. When you outsource tasks such as IT management, virtual booking, and transportation, the people you hired for their individual talents can truly shine once again. Your web designer can spend her workdays enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your site instead of troubleshooting technical errors, for instance. When your employees come to work to do the jobs they applied for in the first place, they are happier and more motivated. They are also able to focus only on the work they do best, and thus, they are capable of high-quality output.

Benefit from Fewer Hours per Week

When you choose to outsource some of your administrative tasks to managed services companies, you eliminate them and get back a chunk of your workday. You can utilize that time to further develop your business' strategy or you can decide to treat yourself to a break once in a while. In addition to providing daily task management services, some of these companies offer time saving tools that can expedite the tasks you want to perform yourself.

For example, a cloud storage service allows you to file and locate all your data in one virtual place. This ensures efficiency and prevents you from having to search for your documents through numerous filing cabinets, which is a drastic time drain.

Benefit from the Knowledge of Experts

When you outsource work to managed services companies, you are ensuring that the tasks you entrust them with are carried out with expertise. This is a major benefit to your business, especially if you are not as familiar with the task at hand. Perhaps you are not familiar with marketing tactics but you know a successful business must utilize them to their full potential. In this instance, you can hire a marketing analytics team to monitor and compile your data. It is their business to perform this task well, which leaves you to take advantage of your own strong points to cultivate your business.



Keep in mind that hiring a managed services company does not mean that you relinquish control of some aspect of your own business. As a paying client, you are still very much in control of how tasks are carried out. More importantly, you reserve the right to switch services if you aren't satisfied with what you pay for. The outsourced work will still be done on your terms, but you aren't the one who has to do it. This tactic can certainly save you money and gain you valuable expertise, allowing you to tighten your budget and reap greater profits as well

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