Survey of Community Health Centers Explores Mobile Health in the Safety Net
Cell phones and other consumer digital technologies have emerged as potentially powerful tools to engage patients, particularly minority and low-income patients, in their health care. The use of text messaging, for example, can be a low-cost way to send reminders or motivational messages.<br /><br />
A new brief by Andrew Broderick of the Public Health Institute’s Center for Innovation and Technology in Public Health and Farshid Haque of Ellipsis Health presents findings from an online survey of 200 leaders at community health centers and clinics to assess how safety-net providers are using cell phones to support patient engagement. <br />
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The survey finds mobile technology at an early stage of deployment, with only one-quarter of surveyed health centers using cell phones in health care delivery.