Subcommittee Discusses Mobile Health Apps
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing to examine the development of mobile applications and wearable technologies for monitoring, diagnosing, and tracking disease and medical conditions.
Ranking Member Dan Lipinski (D-IL) said in his opening statement, “With well over 100,000 health-related apps available through the Google and Apple app stores, and hundreds of millions of downloads, mobile health apps are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. The phrase, “there’s an app for that,” is very applicable to the mobile health environment and the number of apps is growing daily.”
Members and witnesses discussed a number of challenges related to the development, adoption, and efficacy of mobile health apps including, regulations, standards and interoperability, human factors, and cybersecurity and privacy.
Congressman Lipinski said, “The goal for users of many mobile health apps is to live a healthier life. They may be looking to increase their fitness, to eat healthier, or to quit smoking. Some users are using apps to monitor and respond to potentially serious chronic health conditions. In all of these cases, there is an implicit assumption that the app will influence behavior in a predictable way, and in some cases assist users in long-term behavioral changes. But as an engineer, I know that if we do not incorporate human factors into the design and evaluation of these apps, they may not function as intended or may even cause harm. This is a very important area of research, one where the National Science Foundation has a role, possibly in collaboration with the NIH.”
Mr. Jordan Epstein testified on challenges his company, Stroll Health, has faced in developing HIPAA compliant mobile and web apps used by both patients at home and by providers in a clinical setting. He said, “Medical mobile apps like Stroll have the promise to reduce the cost of care, improve outcomes, and enhance the patient experience. While many barriers to adoption and commercial success exist, Congress can adopt legislation that will improve access to data, reduce burdensome regulation, and provide funding to accelerate development and adoption of these beneficial new technologies.”
Congressman Lipinski concluded, “We all share the goals of promoting better healthcare outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Mobile health apps have the potential to contribute to these ends. Nonetheless, there are many important questions that need to be addressed as this technology continues to grow.”
Witnesses
- Mr. Morgan Reed, Executive Director, the App Association
- Dr. Gregory Krauss, Professor of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Mr. Howard Look, President, CEO and Founder, Tidepool
- Dr. Bryan Shaw, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University
- Mr. Jordan Epstein, CEO and Founder, Stroll Health
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