Overcoming Patient Barriers During Doctor Visits

by Holly Shoemaker

I previously discussed simple ways doctors may enhance patient awareness by choosing the most appropriate method of communication. Along with that, are important considerations and barriers that may affect how patients communicate and take in information.

Barriers that Affect Patients

• Bedside Manner – How a doctor projects him or herself affects how patients communicate. Just like a physician needs to take into consideration how patients learn, patients need to understand how a doctor communications and listens.
• Fear of Speaking Out – If patients become insecure or their personalities clash with a doctor's bedside manner, they speak less. Patients may feel they lack the ability to challenge what a doctor says. Because a doctor may be viewed as an authority figure, patients may become timid. Some patients may fear lack of follow-up care if they challenge what a doctor says.
• Multiple Providers – Patients who see multiple provides have different levels of trust with physicians. With those different levels of trust, comes varying degrees of openness. Patients may confuse how they communicates with one doctor, especially those who see multiple ones.
• Insecurity – There are many reasons patients may not open up to a doctor, and insecurity may stem from many of them. If patients perceive a doctor is not listening, or a patient does not understand the information communicated, they will not ask follow-up questions. Patients then take on less of a role in their own care. Anytime a patient perceives negative treatment from a medical professional, it affects treatment.

Information Changes Medical Care

Because the internet, apps and other technologies provide so much information, patients have more material available to them to research concerns and conditions. Armed with research, patients may be more willing to become involved in making decisions about their own care. However, too much information may cause an unwillingness to listen to what a doctor says. 

Concluding Thoughts

A willingness to listen and demonstrate patience on both sides will help patient awareness. When patients take steps to ensure they have knowledge and understand how barriers affect them, they then become the catalysts needed to change doctor-patient relationships.

Medical Mobile App Clearance Times Decrease

by Holly Shoemaker

The Emergo Group, a medical device consulting firm, has provided updated information that shows the time it takes for apps that undergo the 510(k) process has decreased.

Numbers at a Glance

The study shows that medical mobile apps that undergo the 510(k) process takes about 138 days to receive clearance from the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011, which was down from 146 days in 2010.

The data analysis took submissions through the end of 2011 to look at a 12-month data set. The analysis showed that 95 to 97 percent of all 510(k) applications received FDA clearance within one year of submission.

What is 510(k)?

The 510(k) status is a pre-market submission made to the FDA to show that a device may be marketed as safe and effective. Introducing a new device or changing the usage are some reasons for needing this clearance. The FDA publishes further guidelines here.

Good News for Developers 

One of the hurdles for developers designing medical mobile apps was the time needed for clearance. Any additional delay meant using more time, money and other resources. What the study found was that many medical mobile apps have a shorter wait time for clearance when compared to other devices.

Another study by MobiHealth News found 76 cleared apps in the FDA’s 510(k) database, and the average clearance time was less than the time reported by Emergo Group. This study found the clearance time was 25 days shorter between 1997 and 2012, with an average time of 110 days.

Outstanding Issue

Developers continue to debate what the time for clearance actually means. The FDA’s data defines the dates as when the agency receives the 510(k) application and the official “decision date.” Some developers and companies say the wait for clearance is longer because discussions occur before the actual filing of the application.

While medical mobile apps requiring FDA clearance takes more planning, developers have many tools to assist them. I still recommend using Happtique guidelines to assist, as that app store dedicates itself to just health apps.

Concluding Thoughts

No matter which study patients believe has more validity, both show progress when it comes to medical mobile apps clearance. That is untimely good news for patients too because they gain access to better quality information. Once approved, the device is deemed safe and effective, which helps marketing efforts and branding.

Online Retailers and the Mobile App Profit Dilemma

by Holly Shoemaker

A recent report from research2guidance reported that in 2012 most online stores made less than five percent of their revenue from a mobile app. 

Numbers at a Glance

The company surveyed more than 600 mobile-commerce companies and found the following:

• Almost 19 percent of e-commerce companies made more than 25 percent of revenue via mobile channels. 
• One third reported that they expected to generate more than a quarter of their revenue from mobile within the next five years. In addition, 15 percent of those companies reported that they planned to generate half their revenue from mobile apps.
• For online retailers to profit from mobile apps, they need to achieve downloaded numbers of more than two million. At this time, many online stores only achieve a few thousand downloads. 

Mobile Ad Spending to Grow

eMarketer predicts that U.S. mobile ad spending will reach $7.19 billion in 2013 and more than $20 billion in 2016. Despite those numbers, mobile only entails a small percentage of total ad spending. It comes in at just 2.4 percent. If the number increases as expected to $20 billion in 2016 that will bring the percentage to 11 percent – that means it will rank higher than radio, but will not overtake print.

Hope for Online Retailers?

The future for online retailers and revenue from mobile apps depends on the goods or services sold. Stores that sell virtual goods perform well. Companies that sell game apps and upgrades or virtual goods inside them also have a better chance at becoming part of the exclusive five percent.

RIM's Port-A-Thon Has Hours to Go

by Holly Shoemaker

Developers looking to make a little cash from Research In Motion (RIM), have a few hours left today. In anticipation of its BlackBerry 10 launch on Wednesday, January 30, 2013, RIM is conducting another Port-A-Thon, a 36-hour marathon that began at noon on Friday, January 18, 2013. In that 36-hour span, RIM will pay Android developers $100 for every approved app that gets ported over to BlackBerry 10. There is a a limit of 20 paid apps per developer.

Port-A Thon Rules

RIM has allocated $500,000 toward distribution, and to qualify developers must register and submit their apps into the BlackBerry World Vendor Portal by 11:59:59 PM EST on Saturday, January 19, 2013. Any app submitted outside that timeframe, will not count, and BlackBerry must approve all apps.

Valuable Sessions?

RIM sees value in these sessions, and the Port-A-Thon held on January 11, 2013 brought in over 15,000 apps. RIM ultimately needs to gain back consumer satisfaction and apps provide a way to do that. However, the company needs to hope that top apps get transported over and meet the needs of all stakeholders involved.