mHEALTH: Challenges,

hopes and doubts

There are many hopes and at the same time, doubts related to the mHealth development.
Here MEP Michal Boni explains the reasons why

irstly, mHealth development is part of the digital

revolution. It means that all aspects of the functions of the healthcare systems can be changed
under the conditions related to the digital tools. On the
one hand, the new opportunities in the area of genetic
research and the possibilities to use the molecular
insights into health and diseases open the new ways
for diagnosis. On the other, many new devices, wearables, applications can give us the possibility to monitor
the real state of health in the real time. It is the background for adequate, fast intervention. Both: better
and deeper diagnosis and faster interventions create
the framework for the shift paradigm in the healthcare
area. This is the transit from the model of reaction on
the diseases to the model of avoiding of the diseases.
One of the important parts of this shift paradigm is
oriented on changing the minds of patients to build
the possibility for taking the self-responsibility for their
own health via knowledge accessible by apps. It is easy
for some groups, but dicult for many people. So,
there are hopes and doubts.

Better understanding of mHealth as a

game changer for the whole healthcare
system and the strong involvement of
partners can lead to the success.
Secondly, what is the key factor of this healthcare shift
paradigm? All diagnostic eorts are focused on the
individual dimensions of the state of health of the
individual person. It establishes the personalisation of
the service. This is the special added value to the
healthcare system, which can give us the cost savings
(better organisation of the work, proper therapies
based on the real evidence etc.) and the stronger
patients satisfaction. A whole range of mHealth
devices and applications are user friendly. Of course,
for the eective functioning they require better infra-

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Michal Boni, MEP

structure: fast internet, future 5G for transferring data
and information in the milliseconds, and proper High
Performance Computing Centers. In addition, they
require standarisation of solutions and certied high
quality of measures. It is the hope for the future, but it
is also the threat: if the technology and infrastructure
is or in the shoot time, will be really ready?
Thirdly, the new model of healthcare is focused on
patients expectations and future, possible benets of
personalised medicine. So it needs framework for the
new model of relations between the patients and doctors. There is no possibility to make this shift paradigm
in the medical area without doctors. There is no danger
for keeping and improving the human dimension of
the relations between patients and physicians. The
human factor is fundamental: for interpretation of the
same phenomena and the results of the state of health
monitoring. It is also important for building the
personal climate between 2 sides of the process for
cooperation during the time of sickness and the time
of taking the self-responsibility by some patients. Of
course, all those require the trust and the digital and
medical literacy. The education and promotion are very
much needed, as the only way to avoid weaknesses
and doubts and develop mHealth solutions.

Fourthly, this new model of the healthcare system is

based on the Big Data, on the possibilities to process
the data, collect, transfer and share those data. At last,
it requires the privacy protection and the security as
a basis for the trust. The rules need to be clear, transparent at that area. It is important, if we want to avoid
many doubts. The problem of the privacy protection
and the security at the area of healthcare is important
because of the sensitiveness of those data. Anonimisation and pseudonimisation of the data, together
with full encryption from the starting point to the end
of the transferring of the data are the guarantees of
the safe development of the new mHealth solutions.

in the health system depends on common eorts of all

European countries. And depends on the cooperation
of all partners: patients, physicians, managers, decision
and policy makers, researchers, business. If so, some
kind of the action plan for stakeholders is required. We
need to develop opportunities and hopes, than to
create still new doubts.

Finally, the shift paradigm is needed for the better

future, which during implementation processes
requires the cooperation between all stakeholders.
Why it is so important? Better understanding of the
mHealth as a game changer for the whole healthcare
system and the strong involvement of partners can
lead to success. In Europe the healthcare area belongs
to the Member States competences. This shift paradigm

.............................................
Michal Boni
MEP
European Parliament
michal.boni@europarl.europa.eu
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124896/MI
CHAL_BONI_home.html
www.twitter.com/MichalBoni

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