Article Abstract

	Title:	Mobile healthcare initiatives for improving outpatient adherence: opportunities and barriers
	Author:	Mihail Cocosila, Norm Archer
	Address:	McMaster University, DeGroote School of Business, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M4, Canada. ' McMaster University, DeGroote School of Business, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M4, Canada
	Journal:	International Journal of Electronic Business 2005 - Vol. 3, No.6  pp. 512 - 533
	Abstract:	This work is an investigation of the human and system opportunities and barriers in mobile healthcare, followed by a cost/benefit analysis for outpatient mobile healthcare solutions that could improve adherence to medication and a healthy lifestyle. The work begins by defining the outpatient adherence problem and how mobile solutions could help. It then discusses the driving and resistant forces among the main stakeholders: patients, healthcare professionals, healthcare institutions and government. Next, it compares the savings generated by increased adherence and the costs to implement mobile initiatives to combat non-adherence. The possible use of mobile healthcare solutions to address outpatient non-adherence, although beneficial, also creates concerns of varying degrees for all the major stakeholders. These issues must be addressed before implementation in order to maximise the chances of success.
	Keywords:	outpatient adherence; information technology; mobile healthcare; m-healthcare; business case; outpatients; medication; healthy lifestyle; mobile communications; wireless technology; electronic healthcare; e-healthcare.
	DOI:	10.1504/IJEB.2005.008534
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