Can mHealth Make the Connection Between Providers and Minorities?

Two new studies report that minorities are much more likely to access mHealth information on smartphones.This may be the link doctors need to create effective population health outreach.
Healthcare providers looking to connect with minorities should develop an mHealth strategy that focuses on the smartphone.

Thatís the takeaway from a pair of studies published this month in the American Journal of Managed Care. The studies ñ one focusing on the variation of devices used to access patient portals and the other examining mobile access to personal health records ñ found that black and Hispanic populations use smartphones far more often than non-Hispanic whites to access mHealth data, and in many cases thatís the only device they use.

The studies offer guidance on how to reach underserved populations, as well as offering a warning that mHealth programs now in place may be missing their target patients.