Opportunities and Challenges in mHealth: China and the United States

Healthcare costs continue to rise in both China and the United States as procedures become more expensive and longer life expectancies leave a large portion of the population dependent on government healthcare.

At the same time, cellphone use and penetration are also growing in both countries; China and the US rank among the countries with the highest number of mobile phones per capita. With the proliferation of mobile technology, the mobile health industry presents many opportunities for improving healthcare globally.

mHealth technology can lower the price of health care, increase administrative efficiency, monitor and guide patient health, and help policy makers gather data on healthcare. However, there are many barriers preventing mHealth from reaching its full potential. How can we use mHealth to solve pressing healthcare concerns?

On March 13, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings will host an event to discuss mobile health in China and the United States.