What is mobile health (mHealth)?

• A. A data backup strategy.
• B. A hardware device for imaging.
• C. The use of mobile devices and apps to support health care and public health practices.
• D. A physician credentialing process.

Answer: (C)

mHealth is the use of mobile devices and apps to support health care and public health practices. This covers smartphones, tablets, wearables, and related software that help people monitor health, communicate with providers, receive reminders, and share health data for remote monitoring or population health efforts. The emphasis is on how portable technology and software enable care and health information to reach people more conveniently, support timely decisions, and engage individuals in managing their health.

This isn’t about backing up data, which is a data management task, nor is it about imaging hardware used to produce medical pictures. It also isn’t about the process of credentialing clinicians. mHealth specifically focuses on the mobile tech and software tools that directly assist health-related activities in everyday settings and public health initiatives.