Mobile only households continue to rise: Surprise, surprise! Mobile only households continue to rise as use of landline phones declines. Preliminary results from the January-June 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) indicate that more than one of every four American homes (26.6 percent) had only mobile phones. The survey includes data current as of the first half of 2010. It marks an increase of 2.1 percentage points since the second half of 2009. Even those homes with landlines don't necessarily use them too often: Nearly one of every six American homes 15.9 percent received all or almost all calls on wireless telephones despite having a landline. NHIS
Another challenge for smartphones in clinical settings: Physicians and other healthcare providers using mobile phones are assumed to be "goofing off" even if they're actually using them for medical apps. It's been dubbed the "iPhone Attribution Error." 33 Charts
Saudi Arabian mobile operator teams with Ericsson: Mobile operator Mobily has created a "proof of concept" mHealth service along with Ericsson and a "major" healthcare provider in Saudi Arabia. The service reportedly leverages sensors to remotely monitor vital signs and provides healthcare providers with relevant data and alerts. Details seem to be scant, but it's also only a proof of concept. Arab News
AstraZeneca UK launched its first app for Apple devices: The app is an education resource for clinicians on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene-testing in lung cancer. “There is a clear appetite amongst patients and healthcare professionals for more information and opportunities to communicate with providers… we will continue to explore the opportunities that mobile technologies could bring to AstraZeneca,” an AstraZeneca spokesperson told Chemist + Druggist
Mobile health hype in review: CNET put together a post on the mobile health-related news it covered throughout 2010, including much-hyped headlines on remote diagnostics, remote eye exams, mobile phone-powered microscopes and more. CNET
European mobile health video: BBC News has a sprawling but short (about 4 minutes) video on a handful of mobile health and connected health tools in the market today, including a number of services being piloted by mobile operators in Europe. Video
