According to new survey data out from market research firm the NPD Group, 75 percent of the small to medium healthcare practices polled are looking to buy tablet devices in 2012.

This is despite a somewhat contradictory report published recently by the West Wireless Health Institute that said less than one percent of hospitals have fully functioning tablet systems in place as we enter 2012, citing lack of development in EMR apps and others that don’t give physicians the same experience they’re used.

Read the full story

iHealth Lab, a provider of personal mobile healthcare products tailored for iOS devices, has announced the debut of its new iAd mobile advertising campaign with the aim of reminding us how “lifestyle choices can affect health, especially during the stressful demands of the holidays.”

The new mobile campaign marks the first-ever iAd from a health device company and was a perfect fit since iHealth targets all its products to iOS devices — including the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.  The new iAd will educate consumers on how 18 different lifestyle choices can affect blood pressure, and consumers can learn more about how factors like smoking, alcohol, salt and caffeine intake, shopping, personal relationships, and other choices affect blood pressure as well.

Read the full story

According to new data out from Nielsen, young people aren’t the only ones flocking to smartphones these days.

According to the latest Q3 figures, Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 are adopting smartphones at a faster rate than any other age group.  Roughly 30% of all pre-senior citizens now own a smarpthone, jumping 5% from Q2.  While the segment shows the strongest growth, there’s still a lot of catching up to do in terms of catching the 25-34 age group, where 62% are now carrying smartphones.

Read the full story

Not even a month after announcing a pilot program that put 1,000 iPads to use in VA hospitals, the Department of Veteran Affairs has decided to go all in and purchase up to 100,000 additional iPads for use in its 152 facilities across the country.

This represents a huge first win for Apple in terms of cracking the government IT market, which is traditionally dominated by Dell and RIM.  Though iPads were chosen for this initiative, VA officials said they don’t plan to limit themselves strictly to Apple devices and will also support Android and Windows-based tablets as well.  What’s interesting is that iPads, while favorable from a consumer standpoint, don’t actually posses the technical and security features that RIM’s PlayBook has for example — requirements that would seem to be important in a healthcare setting.

Read the full story

We’ve talked a lot about the role of tablet devices in the healthcare industry, with most of that discussion surrounding Apple’s iPad and its dominance so far.

With security being a primary concern, however, it’s been suggested that the largely ill-fated Blackberry PlayBook may see a resurgence within the healthcare industry.  In terms of deep mobile security integrations, RIM has always been known as a leader with its various smartphones and Blackberry Internet & Enterprise Service platforms.

Read the full story

Apple’s mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPad2, represent just a few of the many contributions Steve Jobs made to the healthcare IT industry. These devices have been received enthusiastically by large numbers in the healthcare profession, many of whom are pushing for their use in the professional setting.

In fact, several hospitals, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Ottawa Hospital, are now purchasing thousands of these Apple devices to distribute to physicians and clinicians. Beth Israel CIO John Halamka described this contribution to mHealth by stating, “CIOs and doctors are now envisioning solutions that would not have been possible without Steve’s innovations.”

Read the full story

It was announced today that “Instant Heart Rate,” a mobile app developed by Azumio that uses biofeedback to monitor your heart rate, has hit 10 million total downloads just a year after launching.

The app, available for iOS and Android, measures a user’s heart rate in only 10 seconds by using their smartphone’s camera and flash to track color changes in the light that passes through the index finger as new blood is delivered with every heartbeat.  Fully and independently tested by nurses, MDs, EMTs and fitness coaches, Instant Heart Rate operates on the same principle as the medical pulse oximeters placed over the fingertip in a doctor’s office for a quick pulse reading. Simply place your finger over the camera lens in your smartphone, hold it steady, and the app will display your current heart rate on the screen in 10 seconds or less with no external sensors required.

Read the full story