Introduction to Focused Issue on mHealth Infrastructure: issues and solutions that challenge optimal deployment of mHealth products and services

In 2013, when we began researching mHealth as a disruptive innovation in healthcare (1), we traced the origin of the term back more than two decades to a data communications professor, Dr. Robert Istepanian, now a visiting professor at the Imperial College, London, Institute of Global Health Innovation. Our conclusion at that time, and which currently holds, is that mHealth has yet to achieve industry-wide deployment of functional, sustainable products and services that consistently meet financial, quality, and patient satisfaction benchmarks. Although some impressive clinical and financial outcomes have been achieved, and many individuals have benefitted from access to healthcare made possible by mHealth applications, the scope of deployment across the industry and globally has not reached a ‘tipping point’ where mHealth is a ubiquitous component of the overall healthcare delivery system. We recognize that many factors contribute to this current state of unrealized potential, and many highly intelligent and skilled researchers, clinicians, innovators, and other professional groups continue their work to advance mHealth adoption.