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The impact of mobility has improved year over year since 2015 when the first Mobile Industry Impact report was published.
As mobile networks continue to build toward universal network coverage, industries are adapting the way they conduct business and access information to include a secure mobile option.
Increased mobility is also continuing to bridge the gaps for data access for low-income users and users in rural areas.
“More than 5 billion people are today connected to a mobile network, equivalent to roughly two-thirds of the world’s population, up from 4.6 million at the end of 2015, which means that the industry has added more than 400 million unique mobile subscribers over this period,” said the report.
“Almost 600 million additional people, the vast majority from low- and middle-income, have begun using mobile internet services since 2015, bringing the total to 3.3 billion at the end of 2017. By the end of this decade, it is forecast that half of the world’s population will accessing the internet via their phones, up from 36 per cent in 2015.”
This rise in mobile engagement across all industries calls for mobile service providers to continue developing initiatives to connect users that are still not connected to drive further adoption, said the report.
The availability and accessibility of universal information makes it an in-demand way for people to access their health data and communicate with their healthcare providers. Mobile apps for monitoring health and booking appointment are making it easier for patients to be more involved with their healthcare.
Healthcare organizations are embracing the mobile transformation that has been happening over the past several years by building applications patients can utilize on their mobile devices and providing clinicians with mobile tools to increase workflow.
The rise in healthcare mobility has also prompted the consumerization of IT. Patients have access to mobile content for social media, shopping, and banking and they’re beginning to expect the same continence from their healthcare providers. Clinicians who are interested in utilizing mobile tools expect tools that are of the same caliber or better than their personal devices.
Patient owned devices such as smartphones and wearables are capable of performing the same, or even better than hospital issued monitoring devices and are often more cost effective for the patient and the healthcare provider.
In response to the demand, the healthcare space is taking steps to embrace mobile solutions by implementing programs that hinge on communication via mobile devices.
Organizations should look to their mobile strategy to make sure that it’s scalable and handle increasing mobile demands. As mobile availability continues to grow the demand for innovative and convenient mobile applications and tools will continue to rise. Embracing mobility will help organizations engage patients and increase clinician workflow.
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