title: mHealth and memory aids: levels of smartphone ownership in patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of mobile devices to deliver healthcare has not yet been exploited in neuropsychological rehabilitation. Smartphones have the potential to serve as multi-functional memory aids.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether patients attending a clinic for mixed memory problems own smartphones, to determine whether this could be a widely applicable medium to use as a memory aids device.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire on smartphone ownership was given to an opportunity sample of consecutive patients attending a neuropsychiatry and memory disorders outpatient clinic. Data were collected in 2012 and repeated 12 months later in 2013 to assess changes over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ownership of mobile phones was stable between 2012 (81%) and 2013 (85%), but ownership of smartphones showed a significant increase (from 26% to 40%). Age negatively predicted smartphone ownership.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite cognitive or psychiatric problems, our patient group are as likely to own a mobile phone as a member of the general population. Ownership levels are at 40% and likely to increase in the future. Exploring how smartphones and their apps could function as memory aids is likely to be useful for a large enough number of patients to be clinically worthwhile.
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine , Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK and.
authors.forename: Ellen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Migo
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine , Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK and.
authors.forename: Becky I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine , Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK and.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine , Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK and.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friedner
authors.affiliation: b Neuropsychiatry and Memory Disorders Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas's Hospital , London , UK.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine , Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK and.|b Neuropsychiatry and Memory Disorders Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas's Hospital , London , UK.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kopelman
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000068997:Smartphone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: assistive technology; cognitive rehabilitation; mHealth; memory aids