How Mobile Technology Can Be Integrated With The Army Surgeon General 's Performance Triad

According the Pew Internet Project research most Americans not only have a smartphone, but e-readers and or tablet computer. Not only are adults the only one to own a smart phone, but also the younger generation, minorities and lower-income families not only have a smartphone device, but also depend on them for Internet access.4 We live in a day in age that there is just about an application for everything. With more kids and young adults having mobile devices and as they say that there is an app for everything, what if there is a weight loss app that can help people to lose weight or wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Just by simply searching in the application store located on your phone there are countless apps available, but the real question is do they work?

The use of mobile technology in the healthcare industry has exploded in the last ten years. Mobile health or mHealth, provides an entire new aspect of the relationship between patients and their doctors and other medical providers. Mobile devices place important and critical information into a medical professional’s hands in real-time. Doctors can monitor a patient’s condition more frequently, allowing them to make better and more informed decisions and diagnoses.

Mhealth has reached the poorest of communities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). More than 9 million patients email their physician in 2009 (Digital Health Care, 2010), because patients’ busy lifestyles do not allow time for an office visit for non-emergent health conditions. . In recent years, the expansion of mobile health (mhealth) technologies, including health text messaging, mobile phone applications, remote monitoring, and portable sensors, have changed the way health care is being delivered in the U.S. and globally (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Patients like the convenience of communicating with his or her physician through advanced technology.

As consumers utilize smartphones, tablets, and other devices for other functions like social media and email, they are starting to look at these features to assist them with their healthcare. Mobile body area network devices will be a growing trend in the coming years as a way to get patients engaged in their healthcare and also to give providers routine updates on the status of patients with chronic conditions. As DeGaspari (2014) indicates, these devices can lead to improved functionality for other devices used in hospitals, such as sensors for monitoring patients that might get up and wander or be a fall risk. Telemedicine will continue to grow as payers, providers, and patients all start to realize the mutual benefits that can be

The emergency department in the modern hospital is one of the most complex clinical settings to operate. According to Johnson, Sensei, & Capasso (2012), this department is an intersection of the diagnosis and treatment of emergency cases. As a result, it experiences immense volumes of patients every day. However, in most hospitals, patients visit the facilities with an indication of what they might be suffering from. Specifically, they use their iPhones to get a list of conditions that they might be having (Boncana, 2016). This method of detection has come to be known as mHealth. In this regard, mHealth, rather mobile health, is a method that patients use to enhance their health and medical practices via the use of mobile technology. The cell phones used in this approach are equipped with medical/health software, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and patient monitoring devices.

Wagner, K. (2014, November 4). How Mobile Health is Changing Care Delivery. Leadership +. Retrieved from

Another randomized controlled trial on the use of text messaging to improve patient attendance at a primary health care clinic by Leong et al (2006) was performed. A total of 993 participants were divided into three groups as a control group (n=335), a

In recent years, companies have attempted to create the perfect fitness tool to assist individuals in tracking their diet and exercise habits. From wristbands to iPhone applications, corporations have created multiple ways to track and encourage healthy lifestyle habits. Although the majority of individuals find these tools beneficial, there are some who are concerned the use of these fitness tools can lead to obsessive and potentially harmful behavior. In a recent blog, Andria Martin discussed how the use of a Fitbit Flex triggered a relapse in her eating disorder. Andria concludedd the Fitbit Flex was ultimately detrimental to her health. Although the Fitbit Flex could lead to obsessive unhealthy behaviors, if used in moderation these fitness tools could be very beneficial for individuals who need motivation to stay on task in their health goals.

On the other hand, if technology is used to keep track of what one is eating and what different workouts are recommended  to stay healthy then that is when technology can come extremely in handy.  In the online journal, Young Adults, Technology, and Weight Loss: A Focus Group Study written by Janna Stephens, she addresses that, "Major results indicated that young adults have very little knowledge on the use of Smart phone technology for weight loss but would like to use this type of technology to help them lose

This research utilization paper will synthesize the evidence on the usage of text messaging interventions to enhance self-management and glycemic control in patients with diabetes type 1 or 2. Four selected articles will be evaluated to calculate the effectiveness of this type of technological intervention among individuals with diabetes.

The product I have chosen for this discussion is the Fitbit. I chose this product for a few reasons. The first being I see many people using this device. The second reason is because it claims that by using this product you will take steps to get healthy your way. Now the main claim from the website is “Fitbit tracks every part of your day—including activity, exercise, food, weight, and sleep—to help you find your fit, stay motivated, and see how small steps make a big impact.” (Why FitBit) I see where this product could be beneficial and spark a change in people’s life if used correctly. Since it tracks many things, a persistent person could use that information to tweak workouts or meals. They’d be reminded of how much activity they were engaging in and would be able to see the change.

Health behavior is defined as an action taken by a person to maintain, attain, or regain good health and prevent illness. As a result of examining health behaviors some illnesses that were once untreatable can now be either cured or prevented. Heart disease, strokes, cancer, tobacco, alcohol, and diet patterns are just half of the top 12 leading causes of death in the United States. It is believed that if we can improve some of our health behaviors that we may save costs socially and economically. Currently media resources seem to encourage more healthy living habits. Creators have developed tons of cell phone applications that focus on maintaining healthy lifestyles. Major technology companies are now developing wristbands made like normal wrist watches to tally up daily and weekly health progress.

Military Health Care Systems Overview The Military Health System (MHS) and The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) leads the nation in health information technology and developed a system that summarizes patients’ care from several providers (Hosek, et al., 2013). The MHS ensures medical professionals from the Army, Navy, and the Air Force are medically ready to deploy around the world at any given time (“About the Military Health System”, n.d.). The MHS is led by the “Assistance Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs under the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness” (“About the Military Health System”, n.d.). Personal Thoughts I am currently in the military and wanted to choose the MHS to research what type of health information systems are within the organizations.

Many disorders and diseases can result from abnormal sleeping patterns that are triggered from sleep deprivation. The most common forms of sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy (NINDS 10). All of these sleep disorders begin from sleep deprivation and can be managed once they are diagnosed correctly. According to Urban, “Nervousness, dizziness, and sleeplessness may occur”, as a result of sleep deprivation (1). This proves that the slightest health changes can occur if sleep deprivation becomes a problem. According to NINDS, “The disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities” (10). This shows that the effects of being sleep deprived can drastically change one’s everyday

Sleep is an essential part of any person’s health, however few people seem to realize that not receiving enough sleep can double the risk of becoming obese.“The ‘epidemic’ of obesity is paralleled by a ‘silent epidemic’ of reduced sleep duration with short sleep duration linked to the increased risk of obesity both in adults and in children”(Professor Cappuio). Someone who has developed a sleeping disorder such as, sleep apnea, may not have the motivation to diet or exercise, due to daytime sleepiness. Scientists at the University of Chicago conucted a study in 1999, which restricted eleven healthy young adults to four hours of sleep for six nights. The scientist discovered that restricting individuals to this amount of sleep impaired metabolism functions and disrupted hormone levels. It was also found that the subject’s abilities to process glucose in the blood had declined, in some cases to the level of diabities. ” Not only does obesity contribute to sleep problems such as sleep apnea, but sleep problems can also contribute to obesity.”(National Sleep Foundation)