Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> An ageing population is now the leading healthcare concern of many countries in the world. Aged patients need more healthcare efforts as they present more cases of chronic illnesses involving higher healthcare costs. e-Health systems based on modern information technology are expected to play a role in alleviating this problem. Fortunately, there have been dramatic advances in healthcare technology in terms of mobility, size, speed and communication. However, the main drawbacks of currently deployed e-Health monitoring systems originate from the fact that patients are 'constrained' within smart rooms and beds fitted with monitoring devices. Such monitoring is not ubiquitous in view of the privacy, mobility and flexibility issues concerning patients. On the other hand, health monitoring products strapped to the patient's body provide no analysis or recommendations of results. A multi-agent architecture for mobile health monitoring is presented, involving a team of intelligent agents that collate patient data, reason collectively and recommend actions to patients and medical staff in a mobile environment. <s> BIB001 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> Health monitoring is repeatedly mentioned as one of the main application areas for Pervasive computing. Mobile Health Care is the integration of mobile computing and health monitoring. It is the application of mobile computing technologies for improving communication among patients, physicians, and other health care workers. As mobile devices have become an inseparable part of our life it can integrate health care more seamlessly to our everyday life. It enables the delivery of accurate medical information anytime anywhere by means of mobile devices. Recent technological advances in sensors, low-power integrated circuits, and wireless communications have enabled the design of low-cost, miniature, lightweight and intelligent bio-sensor nodes. These nodes, capable of sensing, processing, and communicating one or more vital signs, can be seamlessly integrated into wireless personal or body area networks for mobile health monitoring. In this paper we present Intelligent Mobile Health Monitoring System (IMHMS), which can provide medical feedback to the patients through mobile devices based on the biomedical and environmental data collected by deployed sensors. <s> BIB002 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> In the field of mobile health monitoring the current most important user groups are those aged 50 +. In our project senSAVE^(R) we developed a user interface for monitoring vital personal parameters that is specifically adapted to the needs of this group. The group is said to show less perception and control capability and has less experience in the use of information technology. More realistically, the group of 50 + users shows more diversity in their cognitive, sensory and motor skills than younger people. User interfaces for elderly people should therefore be designed for different capabilities and needs. For a mobile health monitoring system three design types were developed and evaluated in this study: three basic interfaces, two professional interfaces and an interface in between as a compromise of the two former types. Beyond monitoring the vital parameters of the user during mobile phases a stationary module for the inspection of aggregated data was included on a standard TV set together with a remote control device. The paper describes the user interface design and a comparative evaluation of the interfaces during and after the development, i.e. formative and summative evaluation. It also describes first user feedback about the stationary component. <s> BIB003 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> The poor general state of health of the Austrian youth - which is possibly representative for the western industrial world - will have dramatic effects on our health care system in years to come. Health risks among adolescents, including smoking, alcohol, obesity, lack of physical activity and an unhealthy diet, will lead to an increase in chronic diseases. A preventive measure against such a development could be to reinforce health awareness through the use of web and mobile applications supporting self observation and behavior change. In this paper, we present an overview of the latest developments in the area of mobile wellness and take a look at the features of applications that constitutes the current state of the art, as well as their shortcomings and ways of overcoming these. Finally, we discuss the possibilities offered by new technological developments in the area of mobile devices and by incorporating the characteristics that make up the Web 2.0. <s> BIB004 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> This paper describes a mobile health monitoring system called iCare for the elderly. We use wireless body sensors and smart phones to monitor the well being of the elderly. It can offer remote monitoring for the elderly anytime anywhere and provide tailored services for each person based on their personal health condition. When detecting an emergency, the smart phone will automatically alert pre-assigned people who could be the old people's family and friends, and call the ambulance of the emergency centre. It also acts as the personal health information system and the medical guidance which offers one communication platform and the medical knowledge database so that the family and friends of the served people can cooperate with doctors to take care of him/her. The system also features some unique functions that cater to the living demands of the elderly, including regular reminder, quick alarm, medical guidance, etc. iCare is not only a real-time health monitoring system for the elderly, but also a living assistant which can make their lives more convenient and comfortable. <s> BIB005 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> Health problems related to diet, including obesity and cancer, are important concerns in the current society. The main treatment for obesity includes dieting and frequent physical activity. Diet programs keep and cause weight loss over short, medium, or long term. However, to maintain balanced body energy, a frequent physical exercise is required. This paper presents SapoFitness, a mobile health application for a dietary evaluation and the implementation of challenges, alerts, and constantly motivates the user to use the system and keep the diet plan. SapoFitness is customized to its user keeping a daily record of his/her food intake and daily exercise. The main goal of this application is to offer a motivation tool for weight reduction and increase physical activity. SapoFitness includes the ability to share personal achievements with social networks, a very intuitive human-device interaction and control weight, applying not only to control obesity but also to malnutrition problems. The application offers a continuous alert system activity, sending alerts/messages concerning the user diet program taking into account also his/her physical activity. SapoFitness is a challenged mobile application that delivers the action to the user, motivating for a healthier life style. <s> BIB006 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> Recent research in ubiquitous computing uses technologies of Body Area Networks (BANs) to monitor the person's kinematics and physiological parameters. In this paper we propose a real time mobile health system for monitoring elderly patients from indoor or outdoor environments. The system uses a bio- signal sensor worn by the patient and a Smartphone as a central node. The sensor data is collected and transmitted to the intelligent server through GPRS/UMTS to be analyzed. The prototype (UMHMSE) monitors the elderly mobility, location and vital signs such as Sp02 and Heart Rate. Remote users (family and medical personnel) might have a real time access to the collected information through a web application. <s> BIB007 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> Background: Mobile health (mHealth) describes the use of portable electronic devices with software applications to provide health services and manage patient information. With approximately 5 billion mobile phone users globally, opportunities for mobile technologies to play a formal role in health services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are increasingly being recognized. mHealth can also support the performance of health care workers by the dissemination of clinical updates, learning materials, and reminders, particularly in underserved rural locations in low- and middle-income countries where community health workers deliver integrated community case management to children sick with diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria. Objective: Our aim was to conduct a thematic review of how mHealth projects have approached the intersection of cellular technology and public health in low- and middle-income countries and identify the promising practices and experiences learned, as well as novel and innovative approaches of how mHealth can support community health workers. Methods: In this review, 6 themes of mHealth initiatives were examined using information from peer-reviewed journals, websites, and key reports. Primary mHealth technologies reviewed included mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones, patient monitoring devices, and mobile telemedicine devices. We examined how these tools could be used for education and awareness, data access, and for strengthening health information systems. We also considered how mHealth may support patient monitoring, clinical decision making, and tracking of drugs and supplies. Lessons from mHealth trials and studies were summarized, focusing on low- and middle-income countries and community health workers. Results: The review revealed that there are very few formal outcome evaluations of mHealth in low-income countries. Although there is vast documentation of project process evaluations, there are few studies demonstrating an impact on clinical outcomes. There is also a lack of mHealth applications and services operating at scale in low- and middle-income countries. The most commonly documented use of mHealth was 1-way text-message and phone reminders to encourage follow-up appointments, healthy behaviors, and data gathering. Innovative mHealth applications for community health workers include the use of mobile phones as job aides, clinical decision support tools, and for data submission and instant feedback on performance. Conclusions: With partnerships forming between governments, technologists, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry, there is great potential to improve health services delivery by using mHealth in low- and middle-income countries. As with many other health improvement projects, a key challenge is moving mHealth approaches from pilot projects to national scalable programs while properly engaging health workers and communities in the process. By harnessing the increasing presence of mobile phones among diverse populations, there is promising evidence to suggest that mHealth can be used to deliver increased and enhanced health care services to individuals and communities, while helping to strengthen health systems. [J Med Internet Res 2013;15(1):e17] <s> BIB008 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> The intention of this study is to investigate how Smartphone‘s are impacting the society and also how Smartphone‘s are going to transform the culture, social life, technology landscape and other diverse aspects of modern society. The intention of this study is to understand all the positive and negative aspects of Smartphone on the society. The study will primarily focus on impact of Smartphone on business, education, health sectors, human psychology and social life. At the end, the study will summarize the impact and conclude based on wide range of impacts that Smartphone‘s have on society. The paper will also recommend solutions, in order to reduce the negative impacts of Smartphone‘s and realizes more benefits of this exiting technology. <s> BIB009 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> Health care professionals' use of mobile devices is transforming clinical practice. Numerous medical software applications can now help with tasks ranging from information and time management to clinical decision-making at the point of care. <s> BIB010 </s> Towards the Uses of Blockchain in Mobile Health Services and Applications: A Survey <s> M-Health and Security Mechanisms <s> Access to mobile phone technology has rapidly expanded in developing countries. In Africa, mHealth is a relatively new concept and questions arise regarding reliability of the technology used for health outcomes. This review documents strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of mHealth projects in Africa. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on mHealth projects in Africa, between 2003 and 2013, was carried out using PubMed and OvidSP. Data was synthesized using a SWOT analysis methodology. Results were grouped to assess specific aspects of project implementation in terms of sustainability and mid/long-term results, integration to the health system, management process, scale-up and replication, and legal issues, regulations and standards. Forty-four studies on mHealth projects in Africa were included and classified as: “patient follow-up and medication adherence” (n = 19), “staff training, support and motivation” (n = 2), “staff evaluation, monitoring and guidelines compliance” (n = 4), “drug supply-chain and stock management” (n = 2), “patient education and awareness” (n = 1), “disease surveillance and intervention monitoring” (n = 4), “data collection/transfer and reporting” (n = 10) and “overview of mHealth projects” (n = 2). In general, mHealth projects demonstrate positive health-related outcomes and their success is based on the accessibility, acceptance and low-cost of the technology, effective adaptation to local contexts, strong stakeholder collaboration, and government involvement. Threats such as dependency on funding, unclear healthcare system responsibilities, unreliable infrastructure and lack of evidence on cost-effectiveness challenge their implementation. mHealth projects can potentially be scaled-up to help tackle problems faced by healthcare systems like poor management of drug stocks, weak surveillance and reporting systems or lack of resources. mHealth in Africa is an innovative approach to delivering health services. In this fast-growing technological field, research opportunities include assessing implications of scaling-up mHealth projects, evaluating cost-effectiveness and impacts on the overall health system. <s> BIB011
In recent years, the technological evolution and widespread usage of smart mobile devices have allowed new solutions to previous problems in several fields, including the health industry. Traditionally, the access to health care information is considered to be a troublesome and lengthy process for patients, due to time and personal constraints. Therefore, the adaptation of mobile technologies is a compelling use case that offers a solution for data and information access  . Moreover, it provides several new capabilities and advantages, such as more personalized treatments as well as empowering patients to self-care, which is a possible solution to lifestyle-related chronic diseases and the ability to access health services anywhere and anytime BIB010 . Several pilot projects and research already show promise, with BIB008 , BIB011 as clear examples. The m-Health paradigm shifts the focus from the health service provider back to the patient, by providing the user with valuable, personalized information in a readable format. Patients are now closer to own his health information, due to smart mobile devices that give them control or data access in anytime and anywhere. This health information was and, still is, typically centralized by health service providers, such as hospitals and health professionals. m-Health contributes to a more decentralized health care service, as well as promoting the privacy of the patient health information [12] . Due to the nature of m-Health scenarios and system architectures based on cloud services, patient data is collected in a long interval of time without great direct effort from its user. Therefore, enabling remote patient monitoring and contributing to the practicality and accessibility of solutions based on m-Health BIB002 . With the evolution and proliferation of powerful personal technology capable of monitoring health metrics, the general population is growing an awareness about their health status and living style. This is due, in part, to the availability of systems and applications that enable users to monitor and control their health in ways that have not been possible in the past. Hence, health care services are generally associated with availability problems and the lack of adaptability to the patient, but also due to the mainstream usage of smart technology such as smartphones or smartwatches BIB009 . While before there was only concern about personalized health data, currently there is both concern and means to implement such systems through m-Health  . This availability of powerful devices capable of monitoring and recording health data leads to the empowerment of several underprivileged groups. Personalized health with real time monitoring is especially important in elderly BIB003 , chronic, disabled BIB001 and young BIB004 patients. Moreover, this scenario is desirable when there is a lack of health professionals to treat patients individually, as it happens in many developing countries BIB008 , BIB011 . Health data collection and recording for later analysis enables personalized health treatment contributing towards a more comprehensive and understandable grasp on users own health. This allows them to act in a much faster and proactive way in case of an health hazard. BIB006 This growing interest regarding personal health and the widespread usage of smart technology motivated companies, and developers to invest in the production of solutions to monitor personal health. Applications regarding fitness, elderly care and outdoor activity promotion are especially interesting from both a business and a technology standpoint, as we can see in [20] , BIB005 , BIB007 and [23] , respectively. These applications had a big impact and an exponential number of users that helped to expand the boundaries of possibilities of use from the existing technologies. They also contribute to the production of new innovative systems that could be applied as features to mobile applications related to health care (e.g., wireless sensors).