Richard Ribon Fletcher*, MIT, University of Massachusetts, Cambridge, United States Track: Research Presentation Topic: Mobile & Tablet Health Applications Presentation Type: Oral presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: Mermaid Room: Main Auditorium Date: 2013-09-24 04:50 PM – 05:30 PM Last modified: 2013-09-25

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The use of mobile and wearable technology has accelerated in in recent years due to the convergence of several key technologies including: small wearable sensors (physiology and environmental), programmable Internet-enabled smart phones, low-cost GPS, improved data processing algorithms, and accessible automated mapping tools and services. Long-term longitudinal data is now relatively easy to collect and finding applications in many research fields including behavior science, environmental monitoring, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety/stress monitoring, sleep studies, epilepsy diaries, and substance abuse, among others.
This talk will review a several key technological advances that are enabling new capabilities in medicine and personal health including:

• Low-cost tools for maternal and newborn assessment in global health
• Autonomic nervous system monitoring for use as biomarkers in mental health disorders
• Wearable environmental monitors for air quality, sound and light
• Closed loop feedback with sensors and social networks for behavioral and psychological interventions

Future large scale deployment of these emerging technologies will certainly require advances in other areas including health policy and privacy issues, financial business models, technology standards, and healthcare reimbursement channels for these new technologies. However, the important work of clinical validation is proceeding steadily as mobile technology finds its place in evidence-based medicine. As mobile health moves from simple monitoring to therapeutic interventions, and the social impact of mobile technology on health continues to increase, we are witnessing a new era of “distributed medicine.”