mHealth (also written as
m-health) is an abbreviation for
mobile health, a term used for the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices. The term is most commonly used in reference to using mobile communication devices, such as
mobile phones, tablet computers and
PDAs, for
health services and information, but also to affect emotional states. The mHealth field has emerged as a sub-segment of
eHealth, the use of information and communication technology (
ICT), such as
computers, mobile phones,
communications satellite,
patient monitors, etc., for health services and information. mHealth applications include the use of mobile devices in collecting community and clinical health data, delivery of healthcare information to practitioners, researchers, and patients, real-time monitoring of patient
vital signs, and direct provision of care (via mobile telemedicine).
