Glucometers to sleep stations: save a doctor's trip with these medical accessories for your phone

posted by Daniel P.

Dec 05, 2016, 8:59 AM

Glucometers to sleep stations: save a doctor's trip with these medical accessories for your phone

A quiet revolution has been going on in the medical profession and the field of personal health in the last few years, spearheaded by smartphones and tablets, that will change forever the way we obtain and process medical information.

Called mHealth (Mobile Health), this industry phenomenon encompasses a wide range of applications – from self-treatment apps on sub-$100 Android phones in Kenya, through texting reminders for the immunization schedule of newborn babies in India, up to testing yourself for STDs with a smartphone kit, or your doctor panning and zooming radiology scans on the go.

Let's start off with the practical stuff and see what applications and gizmos are out there for disease prevention, self-diagnosis and treatment via your smartphone or tablet. Apple's iOS devices carry the lion's share of apps and accessories geared to physicians or your personal health, but Android is catching up quickly.