The Center for Technology and Aging has launched an online mHealth Toolkit that officials say offers key resources to organizations that want to develop a best-in-class mHealth program for chronic disease management.

"mHealth is an emerging technology that increasingly offers providers new options for improving the care of America's aging population, particularly those with a chronic disease," said David Lindeman, director of the Center for Technology and Aging. "This new toolkit offers organizations hands-on strategies and best practices for using mHealth technologies as effectively and efficiently as possible."

The mHealth Toolkit contains vetted techniques for using mHealth interventions in many healthcare settings for individuals with a range of chronic care needs, officials say. It has been developed in collaboration with leading healthcare providers from around the country as well as Beacon Communities, a program of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

"Reaching patients through their now-ubiquitous mobile devices can be a key to patient engagement," notes Korey Capozza, consumer engagement director of HealthInsight, part of the Utah Beacon Community, in a press statement. "We have this huge opportunity to use mHealth to better manage patient care outside the clinic, as well as to use the mobile device that's in a person's purse or pocket to help them better manage their own health."

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The center is offering a free one-hour webinar on the mHealth Toolkit on May 29 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. Those interested in registering can do so here. 

According to CTA officials, the webinar will feature lessons learned and commentary from Jason Broad, a pioneer in mHealth at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego, and HealthInsight's Capozza. Also presenting will be Alex Baker, Project Officer for the ONC.

The mHealth Toolkit is part of CTA's ADOPT Toolkit, which can be used by organizations seeking to improve patient care and health care utilization for chronic care management.

The Center for Technology and Aging is a national resource center that supports the adoption and diffusion of technology-enabled care for older adults. A Public Health Institute center of excellence, CTA is located in Oakland, Calif.