As most are aware by now, in late December of last year Apple released a statement that addressed the popular criticism they faced after acknowledging the use of a feature that allegedly throttles the performance of iPhones with aging batteries. The statement provoked an onslaught of responses and opinions from both advocates and longtime critics of Apple, the darling of the technology world.
With this statement, Apple addressed customer concerns, attempting to repair and regain the trust of its users, but many people still harbor a feeling of betrayal from one of the world’s most beloved technology corporations, the creator of the most widely used mobile smartphone on the market—the iPhone—what you’re likely holding in your hand to read this article. Whether or not you are still feeling the effect as a personal blow, perhaps caused from Apple’s lack of transparency, or other reasons spurred by the current outrage, this article is meant to bring your attention to the potential dangers this serious reduction of processing power, veiled until recent weeks, could cause the healthcare industry and its increasing dependency on reliable mobile devices.
Apple’s statement regarding the iPhone battery controversy communicated with clarity, plain language, and what feels like an honest intent to repair and regain the trust of worldwide consumers. They have offered a solution: a reduction in price for a replacement battery on out-of-warranty iPhones for the iPhone 6 or later models. In addition, the statement offered an explanation on battery life for the rechargeable batteries that power iPhone models. This helped to ease the blow of the reveal regarding the software release that was meant to “[improve] power management during peak workloads to avoid unexpected shutdowns.”
While many have accepted this explanation and are content with the $29 battery replacement offer as absolution for a lack of transparency, that doesn’t exempt an issue that this hot topic has brought to light for the state of advancing technology and the potential problems that can arise in industries that are increasingly dependent on reliable devices to drive efficiency in their organization.
Healthcare has been taking advantage of emerging technology with increased momentum. A digital health transformation has taken stride and there are now countless medical apps and software working to keep up with a mobile revolution. Smartphones and tablets are now helpful medical instruments and the wave of innovation has really just begun. It is now more common than not for healthcare professionals and their patients to use smartphones as references, to communicate, and increasingly, even to perform examinations, monitor glucose or blood pressure levels, or track heart murmurs that are difficult to capture in a regular visit with a physician. The point is, this is an exciting time and the marriage of technology and healthcare have some astonishing things to come in the future.
While Apple’s statement attempts to repair the damage of what most agree is a mistake on their part, it leaves those who have come to rely increasingly on mobile devices for connectivity, and in some cases the administering of treatments and other health-related contingencies, in a precarious ethical position. More and more devices and health-related apps are receiving clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with emerging innovations in technology. This is undoubtedly exciting; however, with these advances, most would agree that IT needs to take equal strides in ensuring the quality and reliability of their products. While a simple battery swap seems like an easy fix, Apple’s negligence is a serious issue and will hopefully serve as a precaution to the future of technology and healthcare as, “longer launch times for apps and other reductions in performance” from your iPhone could result in serious, even fatal consequences for those with serious medical conditions or those who are reliant on mobile connectivity.
There is a changing relationship between doctor and patient with the advent of medical apps and connectivity. Few people aren’t connected by mobile devices and hospitals and other healthcare organizations are taking advantage of a more advanced approach to patient care. However, enabling a patient to have more control and visibility into their own healthcare places great importance on the performance of the vehicles that drive innovation. Patients, doctors, and anyone involved in the healthcare industry meet complications as they step into a future that is moving toward mobile-dependent healthcare with increasing momentum:
Patients
Patients are now more connected and involved in their healthcare than ever. Whether they are meeting with their physician through a FaceTime call, or rely on tracking devices to monitor serious conditions, a competent device is crucial in taking a larger role in managing their own conditions rather than relying completely on doctors. With the advent of new apps and devices that are reliant on technology, it could put a patient in serious danger if their device had a malfunction. The increased responsibility for patients to become involved and place their trust in the functionality of their devices to carryout instructions from their healthcare providers puts added importance on those devices to be dependable, regardless of the whether they can continue to keep upgrading to the latest model of smartphone or not. They need to be able to rely on the technology that brings them this important information and carries out the functions that improve their lives and keeps them healthy.
Doctors
Mobile connectivity is becoming an increasing necessity for practitioners. They need to access health records and data, often urgently, to treat patients. On-call doctors rely on devices to respond quickly. Devices are used to intercept important health information from patients. While mobile devices will never completely replace physicians, they have come to rely on them to care for a greater number of patients with greater efficiency. Doctors, surgeons, and other healthcare practitioners have a responsibility to treat their patients with precise care. In order to take full advantage of such modern tools, they need to first know that they can safely recommend and prescribe these new methods to patients and see the intended results without glitches, crashes, or other unexpected inconsistencies.
Industry
Emerging products, apps, and software that rely on connectivity enhance efficiency in the healthcare industry. Reliable computing power is becoming a critical aspect of administering quality healthcare in our increasingly mobile-friendly society. While smartphones have come a long way in making our lives easier, they are taking on even greater importance as medical devices in some cases, which require regulation and have irreversible consequences for both creators and consumers. The healthcare industry is definitely taking advantage of new technologies, and with that the standard task of improved clinical workflow is imperative. The industry as a whole cannot take risks where unreliable devices are concerned.
We’re not here to offer criticism of Apple’s choice to leave out what we view as critical information about their software, but we do think it’s a serious issue to consider as it relates to the future of healthcare. As technological advances reach remarkable assents, transparency and accountability should be fundamental conditions of the evolutionary landscape.
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