Mobile Health Map and You


The Mobile Health Map is an online resource dedicated to developing and strengthening the collective influence of mobile health clinics worldwide.  The program was founded in 2007 by Jennifer Bennet, Nancy Oriol, MD, and Anthony Vavasis, MD, and currently has over 700 mobile clinics registered in the system.  The founders of this program shared an original goal of increasing recognition and understanding of successful initiatives currently operating in the mobile health sector.  In order to achieve these goals, the Mobile Health Map incorporates platforms for step-by-step data entry, information analysis and extrapolation, and a geographical display of every clinic operating in the United States.  These elements make it easy for clinics to register with Mobile Health Map, participate in ongoing research, and contribute to the success of the greater mobile health clinic industry.



Data entry on Mobile Health Map occurs through the site’s “Planning Tool Kit.”  This toolkit requests specific figures on various elements each clinic’s practice and provides detailed instructions for how clinics should approach gathering and calculating this information.  This level of clarity is critical not only to simplify the process of entering data but also to ensure that Mobile Health Map receives consistent, dependable statistics for further extrapolation.  Once this data is processed, clinics can view their personalized Mobile Health Map Dashboard, which provides analyses pertaining to program strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth.  Specifically, the dashboard features program impact, system impact, bottom line impact, and quality checkup.  These components are determined, respectively, based on individuals served, prevention services provided, annual expenditures, and public health services.  This highly intricate examination of mobile clinic operation has countless applications in relation to program development and stakeholder outreach.  From an industry standpoint, this data reveals larger trends and provides essential guidance towards improving the way the mobile health sector provides care.




In addition to statistical resources, Mobile Health Map provides an interactive online map, which features every registered mobile health clinic currently in operation.  This feature complements the content generated by the Planning Tool Kit by creating a visual representation of the geographical scope of mobile health clinics.  The map allows an individual to search for clinics based on service area, service category, target population, affiliation, and funding.  The most fundamental purpose of this map is to increase awareness.  This centralized display of active clinics allows mobile health programs to become more aware of similar programs operating nearby, alerts regional leadership of opportunities to provide better care to their communities and serves as an indicator of the widespread presence of the mobile health sector.



As national demand for health care develops in relation to changing social and economic conditions, it is essential that leaders in this field consider the role of mobile health clinics as an answer to some of our most confounding challenges.  Initiatives such as Mobile Health Map offer promising lines of communication by establishing platforms for meaningful discussion and action in this constantly evolving field.

Popular Posts