Author: BWild

Mhealth technology trends

Consumers in growing numbers are tying their healthcare to internet and mobile devices, bring mhealth and mobile commerce closer and closer together. More often than not, patients have already looked up their symptoms online long before they land in a waiting room or even an emergency room.

Google it first

Google, Bing, and other searches are fast becoming part of medical care for patients. Looking online at sites like WebMD is a lot faster than making an appointment and sitting in a waiting room for an hour waiting to see a real doctor. A study by DC Interactive Group and Demi & Cooper Advertising surveyed 18-24 year-olds about healthcare information. A whopping 90% stated that they believe in information found on web sites and through social media about medical conditions.

Anyone with a computer can post medical advice online, which is hugely dangerous, but there are credible sites out there. WebMD is one of them. Some have real doctors and nurses answering health care concerns for users, some on a paid basis. Other than information about symptoms and what they may mean, users also post reviews of doctors and medical institutions online, all available for anyone searching to find and read.

mhealth and mobile commerce

Doctors and medical facilities have a decent presence on social media. More than half of doctors surveyed believe that this actually helps to improve patient care. The downfall is that doctors have privacy laws that they must follow so they must be careful about how they address concerns and questions on social media. In a way, this can mean revenue through mobile means – mhealth mobile commerce – but can also be very limiting about how specifics are addressed.

Most doctors and nurses would agree that going on the internet to get medical advice is not the best option. An in-person visit is always essential, especially when a condition could be serious. However, some medical advice online can be useful and some mobile commerce tools can also help save likes. Apps that record when a patient takes medication or emails caretakers when medication has been skipped can go a long ways towards saving lives and upgrading quality of life for patients.

Shopping is not a great experience for everyone, and if you visit Hointer in Seattle, shoppers will find a new and possibly more exciting way to find the perfect pair of jeans or the top that really does fit just right with the use of QR code and mobile commerce to find sizes and even to pay when the fit is right on target.

Not everyone loves shopping

A group of girlfriends may love spending time in a store together trying on the newest styles and showing each other how they look. However, not every consumer wants to shop this way. In fact, if some could, they would never set foot inside a clothing store if they could help it. Those consumers may find the shopping experience at Hointer a little more to their liking and may come home from shopping feeling a little more relaxed than in the past.

New system with QR code and mobile commerce

Shoppers at Hoitner will come into a store that seems to be missing some merchandise. The system is based on QR code, so a smartphone is a must. Costumers will see just one of each style of clothing. They can choose the jeans they would like to try and scan the code. In the dressing room, a pair in the size of their choosing comes via a shoot and they can then see if they fit and look good. Rejected pairs can be returned, or the customer can keep them by using mobile commerce to pay for the jeans with their smartphone.

Stores of the future?

The Hoitner experience is probably not for everyone, but even die-hard shoppers may see some value in such a shopping experience when they simply do not have all day to shop or are having a hard time finding what they want. Men who detest shopping may find huge value in this type of experience, as will those that find chatting with salespeople something they simple do not like to do. Those with a taste for the future, less time to shop, and a love of science fiction may find this one shopping trip they simply can not pass up.