Latest Podcast



Featured Articles

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

UK service providers must notify customers when they connect to a different network

New rules from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom will protect customers when they use their mobile phone on a foreign network. In addition, customers will be alerted if they are inadvertently roaming, perhaps because they're near an international border.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS

Opinion Articles

Thursday, January 17, 2013

That application on your smartphone could kill you

New study looks at the accuracy of apps that provide feedback on medical conditions

Mark Bridge writes:

Smartphones and health are linked in many positive ways, from remote patient monitoring via a mobile network to applications that enhance medical education.

However, patients are being warned not to assume their smartphones are as smart as they might appear.

A study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has been looking at mobile applications that analyse photographs of skin lesions and evaluate them for the likelihood of cancer.

Three out of the four smartphone applications they tested provided an incorrect diagnosis of ‘unconcerning’ for at least 30% of melanomas; a failure that could result in a patient failing to receive life-saving treatment. The fourth mobile app, which forwarded the images to a dermatologist, provided a correct diagnosis of malignant melanomas in 52 out of 53 cases.

Although the apps included disclaimers that pointed out their use was for ‘educational purposes only’, researchers noted that patients might rely on the application rather than contacting a medical professional for advice.

Dr Laura Ferris, lead researcher for the study, said “Smartphone usage is rapidly increasing, and the applications available to consumers have moved beyond communication and entertainment to everything under the sun, including health care. These tools may help patients be more mindful about their health care and improve communication between themselves and their physicians, but it’s important that users don’t allow their ‘apps’ to take the place of medical advice and physician diagnosis. Technologies that decrease the mortality rate by improving self- and early-detection of melanomas would be a welcome addition to dermatology. But we have to make sure patients aren’t being harmed by tools that deliver inaccurate results.”

The results of the study - Diagnostic Inaccuracy of Smartphone Applications for Melanoma Detection - have been published in the JAMA Dermatology journal and are available online.

Print
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Rate this article:
No rating

Categories: Applications, OpinionNumber of views: 9865

Tags: usa research applications health

Leave a comment

This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data.
Add comment

Recent Podcasts

Podcast - 11th June 2010

Ben Whitaker of Masabi talks about mobile ticketing, including his company's recent partnership with thetrainline.com that'll enable almost any mobile phone user to buy train tickets when they're on the move. (An extended version of the interview from Wednesday's podcast).
Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 9th June 2010

Apple announces the iPhone 4, Iridium prepares 72 new satellites and Orange reveals a phone charger powered by hot feet. In addition there's a conversation with Ben Whitaker of Masabi about his company's plans to introduce rail tickets on mobile phones across the UK.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 2nd June 2010

HipLogic CEO Mark Anderson talks about his company's information and entertainment application, which is being preloaded onto mobile phones at The Carphone Warehouse. And, as usual, there's a look at all the week's other major mobile industry headlines.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 26th May 2010

Iain, James and Mark discuss the week's headlines, from the Nokia/Yahoo! partnership and Google's AdMob approval to one-sided phone calls. There's also an interview with Andrew Grieve and Paul Erickson from fSONA; a company that offers 'optical wireless' technology to relieve network capacity problems.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating

Podcast - 19th May 2010

This week's podcast is dominated by the results from the Interphone 'brain cancer' mobile phone research, although there's also time for Iain, James and Mark to talk about Google, Bluechipworld, Vodafone MVNOs, giffgaff, 3D mobile video, HTC's legal action and houses without fixed-line phones.

Author: The Fonecast
0 Comments
Article rating: No rating
RSS
First6566676870727374Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Twitter @TheFonecast RSS podcast feed
Find us on Facebook Subscribe free via iTunes

Archive Calendar

«November 2024»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
28293031123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
2526272829301
2345678

Archive

Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement