ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

Mobile increasingly affecting health industry: panelists

NEW YORK ? Mobile is changing the way patients receive health care and will impact the way they are treated in the future, per executives at the 2011 Mobile Marketing Forum.

The executives spoke at the ?The Changing Face of Healthcare: How Everyday Consumers are Managing Health via Mobile? session and discussed how mobile applications and tools are the keys to the future of healthcare. The group also discussed the interesting contrast that the traditional, often scrutinized healthcare industry plays with the mobile industry, which is about innovation.

?Mobile is a factor to drive information and education in the healthcare industry,? said John Styers, vice president of corporate strategy and industry relations at 3Cinteractive, Boca Raton, FL. ?Healthcare has numerous ways to engage with users, and we are trying to tap into it with various platforms and tools for consumers.?

3Cinteractive is a mobile platform company that helps companies create and execute mobile strategies.

MedHelp is an online health community that connects people with medical experts and people with similar experiences.

5thFinger is a mobile marketing company that specializes in health and retail mobile apps.

On-the-go health
The executive from 3Cinteractive said his company is using mobile as a way to help businesses.

?We see mobile as a platform to help businesses increase work flow,? Mr. Styers said. ?We look for solutions to help healthcare providers with mobile solutions. Some of the products we?ve developed include point-provider apps that let consumers find instant answers to health questions and creating SMS-enabled platforms for prescriptions.?

The executive said his company also worked the city of New York on a recent initiative for prescription discounts.

With the program, users can text a short code to get a discount coupon that can be used at any pharmacy in New York, per Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Automatic doctors
Richy Glassberg, chief operating officer at medhelp, San Francisco, said the biggest challenge for his company has been taking an online resource that does not have any mobile efforts and making it relevant for users.

?Medhelp.com relies on printed tools for consumers who want to talk with a doctor, so it was difficult for us to find a way to use mobile that was relevant to our users,? Mr. Glassberg said.

?Primary doctors right now see approximately 1500 people, but in three years, doctors are expected to see approximately 3000 people,? he said.

?The reality is that one-on-one doctor appointments are becoming obsolete, so consumers have to learn how to manage their own wellness.?

Mr. Glassberg believes that mobile is an essential part of mobile health care.

?Going forward, if a company?s health plan doesn?t involve a digital and mobile component, it?s irrelevant,? Mr. Glassberg said.

Final Take
Panelist host Brad Vettese, executive vice president and managing director of TMA Wireless talks about the mobile health care.