mHealth, Mexico, and HIV

I can tell I’m finally getting through my pile of interesting articles when I pick up an article from February 2010 in HealthAffairs, but it’s a good case study about Mexico’s use of cell phones and mobile technology.

The focus of the story is on VidaNET which is a cell-phone based system that sends text messages and e-mail to patients reminding them to take their medications, keep their physician’s appointments, and stay up to date on their lab tests.  The VidaNET program is for HIV patients and also provides them with other related health information.

“VidaNET is a technology platform that helps you self-manage your health.”

This solution is a partnership between the leading Mexican cellular company (Telcel) and the Carso Health Institute.  It built on their initial program called CardioNET which was focused on obesity related illnesses.  CardioNet featured a risk assessment tool that then drove the consumer to health related resources and provided them with facts to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Although a few of the statistics are now a year old, they are good on the access of the mobile channel:

• 55% of the world’s citizens have mobile phones
• It’s projected that by 2018 that there will be one cell phone per person in the world.
• 80% of Mexicans own a cell phone and the country has more cell phones than people.