LIVE FROM GSMA-mHA MOBILE HEALTH SUMMIT: Professor Krishnan Ganapathy, president of the Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, warned that “mobile health can never, ever, be set to take off unless it is integrated into the core of the healthcare delivery system.” Crucial to this is the need to generate traction among healthcare professionals, with Ganapathy arguing that healthcare providers should be “first among equals” in the mobile healthcare ecosystem. However, he also argued that the needs of patients must be central to the discussion: “It is the end user who needs to decide. Have you ever spoken to him to ask him what is it he wants? I think this is very, very important if you are going to make it successful.”

In a keynote presentation today, Ganapathy noted that in the mobile health ecosystem “there has to be a captain, there has to be a leader, and I humbly submit it should be the healthcare provider.” But as yet, support for mHealth has yet to reach the frontline, which is likely to provide a significant barrier to adoption. “Unless the practising doctor or nurse is excited, is motivated, and becomes a champion of mHealth, I do not see mHealth really growing. It is fascinating for me to see the GSMA, mobile network operators, application developers, Microsoft’s research department, putting their heart and soul into this. But believe me, the average, run of the mill doctor or nurse is still not passionate about it. You have to make them much more passionate, and the only way to do it is to get them involved in the process.”

While Ganapathy is positive about the potential for mHealth solutions in his home country of India – “I am convinced that the only way that telemedicine will grow is through the mobile phone” – he also noted that “health is a different commodity; it is not like selling pizzas on a mobile phone.” It was noted that, in many cases, there will be significant groups of the population who still want to see a doctor, even when a technology-based alternative is available. In order to accurately assess the rollout of mobile health solutions, an in-depth study of user preferences is needed, Ganapathy argued. “That should be the primary concern. The rest of it, the ROI, will automatically come,” he said.