JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

In its most trending interpretation, empowerment in healthcare is implemented as a patient-centered approach. In the same sense, many mHealth applications are being developed with a primary focus on the individual user. The integration of mHealth applications into the healthcare system has the potential to counteract existing challenges. These are, for example, incomplete or non-standardized medical data and lack of communication, especially in the intersectional context (e.g., patients, medical forces). However, concerns about data security and privacy, regional differences in regulations, lack of accessibility, and non-transparent applications hinder the successful integration of mHealth into the healthcare system. One approach to address this is to rethink the interpretation of empowerment. On that basis, we examine existing approaches of individual empowerment and subsequently analyze a different view of empowerment in digital health, namely interaction empowerment. The change of perspective could positively influence intersectoral communication and facilitate secure data and knowledge sharing. We discuss this novel viewpoint on empowerment, focusing on more efficient integration and development of mHealth approaches. A renewed interpretation of empowerment could thus buffer current limitations of individual empowerment while also advancing the digitization of the health system.