BPC Releases Report on Potential for mHealth

A report from the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Health Project, led by former Senate majority leaders Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), says that mobile health is a promising avenue for increasing patient engagement, which should be one of the major goals of health care reform. But barriers to mobile adoption and increased engagement include lack of awareness, lack of innovation, and privacy concerns. The BPC was founded by Daschle and other former Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole (R- Kansas), Howard Baker (R-Tenn.), and George Mitchell (D-Maine) in 2007, and its mission is to “drive principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue.”

The BPC Health Project highlighted patient engagement as a key goal in their January report “Transforming Healthcare: The Role of Health IT.” By reviewing a wide range of available literature, they found that patients who are more directly involved in their health have less pain and faster recovery, are more adherent to doctors’ treatment plans, and are less likely to choose elective surgeries. In the latest report, entitled “Improving Quality and Reducing Costs in Health Care: Engaging Consumers Using Electronic Tools,” the BPC looked at two categories of electronic tools, those that promote education and self-care, and those that enhance patient-physician communication.

In the report the center outlines some suggestions to the government for overcoming the barriers to adoption. Increasing awareness of electronic tools among both consumers and providers is one suggestion. Employers could play an active role in increasing awareness of such tools. The report also emphasizes the need to develop and disseminate standards and best practices for adoption, especially in small clinics where the cost could be prohibitive.