mHealth — the 21st century's mobility in Healthcare — Part 1
What is mHealth, how is it handled across Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Italy, and where does GenomSys fit in?
The way we access services has fundamentally transformed over the past decade through internet and smartphone technology. This shift toward convenience and location-independent service delivery is now reshaping healthcare delivery systems globally through mobile health initiatives.
What is mHealth?
“Mobile Health or mHealth refers to the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other wireless devices.” The sector encompasses over 100,000 applications addressing areas from fitness to genomics. The market grew from approximately $50.82 B in 2020 to a projected $213.6 B by 2025.
Through mHealth, citizens gain greater autonomy in managing their health through self-assessment and remote monitoring, while healthcare providers receive valuable data insights for improved decision-making.
How are mHealth and eHealth handled?
Healthcare digitisation presents opportunities to enhance efficiency and reduce expenses across systems facing aging populations and rising medical costs. Different European nations have adopted varying approaches.
Switzerland
Switzerland’s 2018 eHealth Strategy 2.0 outlined 25 objectives promoting digitalisation. The strategy emphasises “promoting, implementing, and validating mHealth applications” alongside secure integration of health data while maintaining privacy standards.
Germany
Germany accelerated healthcare digitisation significantly, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Digital Supply Act introduced “app on prescription” (DiGA), shifting care delivery from clinical settings toward patient-centred models. Citizens “downloaded twice as often health apps as in the same period during the previous year.”
Spain
Spain emerged as a technological innovation leader, with widespread adoption of electronic prescriptions, online appointment scheduling and electronic medical records access. The nation continues expanding mobile-health capabilities through smartwatch monitoring and app development.
Italy
Italian healthcare systems employ mHealth primarily for education, remote monitoring diagnostic support and disease tracking. Key applications include patient smartphone usage for health education, professional access to clinical guidelines, and smart alerts monitoring medication adherence based on remote data collection.
What does GenomSys provide?
GenomSys addresses personalised genomic medicine through mobile platforms emphasising data privacy, convenience and interoperability. The company’s MPEG‑G standard underpins solutions combining professional and individual genomic data access. Their vision positions future healthcare as “an ecosystem consisting of state-of-the-art tools for professionals and convenient, highly secure applications for citizens.”
