Big Data Makes Mobile Health Care Apps Healthier Posted on : Aug 26 - 2017

In this special guest feature, Harshith Ramesh, President for Episource, discusses how the application of big data and predicative analytics combined with mobile/app data has the potential to be a dramatic game changer in the delivery of healthcare. Harshith is President of Episource, a Los Angeles based provider of services and software for Healthcare Payers and Provider Organizations. Prior to joining Episource, he was in the investment banking industry, focusing on M&A, restructuring, and capital markets assignments. He has worked for a range of global institutions, including Moelis & Co., Bain & Co., and Bear, Stearns & Co. Harshith earned his Bachelors at Tulane University, and an MBA from the Wharton School.

Nowadays, the digitization of healthcare has created a deluge of data that can be overwhelming. Some of the leading contributors are mobile devices such as FitBit and Jawbone, and smartphone apps like Apple Health. To date, these kinds of solutions have been mostly focused on capturing diet and exercise information, but they have tremendous potential to contribute to a Big Data solution that could transform how health care information is captured and applied.

In 2015, according to iMedicalApps, there were approximately 165,000 health & medical apps available for smartphones and tablets. Of these, about 60% address general wellness issues like fitness, lifestyle and diet while the rest focus on specific health conditions (9%), medication info & reminders (6%), and women’s health & pregnancy (7%).

While this is certainly an impressive number of options, the fact of the matter is that only a handful of these apps have really made it into the mainstream and fewer still are being used with any kind of regularity. The result? Not much real benefit or impact on patient health being delivered based on information provided by mobile devices.

Of course, for any kind of app to be successful, whether it is PeaPod or Uber, it has to drive an ongoing interaction and connection between the user, the application and the device it’s on. People use apps that deliver meaningful, personalized data and support, though a simple, secure and intuitive user experience.

So why do people stop using health-related apps? A recent survey by Research Now Group revealed that 96% of mobile health app users think the apps improve their quality of life. By contrast, only 37% of health professionals believe that these kinds of tools will improve their patients’ lives. This striking discrepancy may reflect a more common disconnect between healthcare professionals and their patients – while we are often focused on the control of disease, patients are particularly interested in the downstream effects on their day to day lives. View More