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Open Access 01-12-2012 | Commentary

The regulation of mobile health applications

Author: Amy J Barton

Published in: BMC Medicine | Issue 1/2012

Abstract

In July 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidance concerning the regulation of mobile medical applications (applications on a wireless device that are used as accessories to medical devices or to convert a mobile platform to a medical device). While the suggestion of regulation is rooted in patient safety, concerns about limits on innovation and discovery as well as the evolving nature of both mobile health and current healthcare delivery have emerged. This article discusses the prevalence of mobile health, the context of regulation concerning mobile medical applications, and implications for the future.

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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/46/prepub

Title: The regulation of mobile health applications
Author: Amy J Barton
Publication date: 01-12-2012
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Medicine / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1741-7015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-10-46

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