What i think many people fail to see is that Mobiles are ALREADY being used by patients for healthcare and we’re not talking about the ‘Technorati’ or the ‘Oh fun let’s play with this’ set: We have solid statistics that show that plain old voice calls to advice lines (eg. NHS Direct), emergency assistance (911) or to voluntary carers (eg. an elder person’s friends and family) are being made from mobile lines in favor of fixed lines by people of all age groups. GoJitterbug has already led the way in the mHealth business for some while now by providing an easily accessible emergency call button on their handsets.

Until the iPhone the rest of the mobile industry had been failing to realise that it should be easier to use a smartphone than a normal cellphone. The usability tipping point has happened and has been heard very loudly in the mobile industry by the success of the App store.

The always on and pervasiveness nature of mobile means that this is the best technology we’ve ever had to enable behaviour change – which is still the biggest failing in our healthcare system.

I’m afraid to have to say it but by ignoring the mHealth opportunity you’re just proving you’re a luddite!