Forum: How to Fulfill the True Promise of "mHealth"; July 2012; Scientific American Magazine; by Francis Collins; 1 Page(s)

As a volunteer in a trial of mobile health technology, I can attest that it's incredibly cool to pick up your iPhone, fire up an application to monitor your heart rate and rhythm, and then beam your ECG reading to a cardiologist halfway around the globe. As a physician-scientist, I also know that cool technology is not necessarily synonymous with good science or sound health practices and that therein lies a challenge.

The use of cell phones and wireless sensors to gather and access health data has grown quickly in recent years. Popular mHealth apps are used for counting calories, gauging nutrition, tracking workouts, calculating body mass index and quitting smoking. These worthy efforts pale next to the potential of mHealth to aid in medical research and health care.