Mobile Phones Improve Outcomes.

• Position: HIV-POSITIVE PATIENTS

The use of mobile technology demonstrates great promise for those who are HIV positive, especially among those who have limited resources and those in poor areas of the world, according to a paper published by researchers at the University at Albany (N.Y). Known as mobile health interventions (mHealth), such tools include dosing reminders, data concerning medication intake, and questions about care communicated electronically, all of which result in better feedback and improved communication between patients and their care providers.

These technologies already have proven to be effective for other patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, tuberculosis, and malaria, says Archana Krishnan, assistant professor of communication. "The near-ubiquitous access to mobile technology has encouraged entrepreneurs, nongovernmental organizations, researchers, and governments to develop secure methods for data collection that include secure servers, data encryption, and HIPAA-compliant security protocols."

The excitement around mHealth initiatives stems from mobile technology's ability to address perennial barriers to health-care access like cost, infrastructure, and accessibility. "The global health community has now...