There’s no question that advances in medical technology over the past twenty years have completely revolutionized health care. With equipment continually getting better and cheaper, doctors’ offices, hospitals, and even neighborhood clinics now have access to a level of tech no one could have predicted. At the same time, the technology in our homes and in our pockets has expanded to include a range of hardware and software specifically intended to help us monitor, assess, and improve our health. These gadgets and apps not only assist us in on a daily basis, they can also give health care practitioners important information so that they in turn can give a better and more efficient level of care.

Although individual data assessment certainly has its uses, collecting data from groups of people can also help scientists learn more about large-scale public health issues. The benefits of consumer-level technology, and specifically mobile technology, become evident when illnesses like those caused by the Ebola virus start to take hold. The key to controlling the spread of Ebola and other serious outbreaks could very well come down to careful examination of data collected from apps and cell phones.

Tracking the Virus Using Mobile Phones

In West Africa, where knowledge about the movements of the Ebola virus is critically important, mobile phone carriers are cooperating with data analysis organizations in an attempt to map the travel of the virus. Orange Telecom, a major carrier in Senegal, has allowed Flowminder, a Swedish nonprofit, access to cell data from both Senegal and the Ivory coast.

The idea is not to impose travel restrictions, but rather to create a accurate picture of what travel patterns look like in the region, so that medical organizations can know where best to concentrate their efforts in terms of treatment and prevention. In Boston, HealthMap is mapping data from the opposite side, showing the spread of the epidemic based on deaths caused by Ebola. This visual tool can help give insight into how the virus is spreading from place to place.

The Importance of Apps 

Of course, mobile carrier data only gives information about general population movements, so if we want specifically to track the movements of those who have the virus or are exhibiting symptoms, it’s likely that apps will play a key role. Even in areas where economic limitations are an issue, mobile service providers are offering low-cost phones and data services to a wide range of people.

As such, Africa currently has the fastest growth in mobile subscribers in the world, and that number is predicted to reach 1 billion by 2015. This means that regardless of economic conditions, people around the world are gaining access to the technology necessary to help keep track of the spread of outbreaks, providing that the relevant apps remain low-cost or, better yet, free of charge.

Using Technology to Manage Future Outbreaks

Although implementation of public health apps is not happening quickly enough to be of widespread use in the fight against Ebola, in general these apps are becoming more available to the public, and will no doubt be used to help medical organizations with future outbreaks of many different kinds of illnesses.

The GSMA, for example, is currently expanding its mHealth initiative, giving women and children in Sub-Saharan countries access to better medical and nutritional information. mHealth’s goal is to improve the quality of certain aspects of health care in these areas, while collecting important data that can be used to better understand patterns of health and illness. Smart Health, an app created by Mobilium Global, has similarly partnered with Samsung to help provide African mobile users with a comprehensive health portal. Smart Health is now included on every Samsung smartphone sold in Africa.

While mobile technology is useful for data collection and connecting patients with medical information, other types of tech are being implemented on the treatment side of the Ebola outbreak. Tru-D Smart UVC disinfection robots have proven to be useful in Ebola treatment centers in West Africa, where specialists like Jeff Deal are showing clinic workers how to operate the robots to ensure cleaner working spaces. These robots may be an important factor in keeping Ebola from spreading, as 10-15% of Ebola cases so far have been among health care workers treating others with the illness.

Although it’s early days in terms of coordinating efforts between technology providers, health care organizations, and the general public, tech is certainly playing an important role in understanding the spread of Ebola, and things are looking promising for the future of technology in global health care.

As organizations begin to collaborate more frequently on tech-driven health initiatives, we can certainly expect to start seeing a wider range of mobile apps and a greater scope of cooperation between partners on either side of the health/tech axis. Without a doubt, the day is coming when outbreaks like Ebola will be easily traceable, and those who are afflicted will have the quickest possible access to the best possible medical care, all thanks to the phones in their pockets and the equipment available in even the most remote clinics.