Janet Maragioglio

My household just wrapped up a week as a "Nielsen family," recording our TV viewing habits for the powerful ratings organization, but our report failed to capture our shift in consuming media on mobile devices and computers.

People in developing nations depend on mobile phones to access health services and prevent disease, as mobile technology creates a platform for improving healthcare in remote, underserved areas.

Mobile devices increasingly diagnose and manage disease, putting them under the watchful eye of federal regulators, who could slow the pace of innovation.

Doctors and nurses are turning to tablets and smartphones to aid their everyday work, as a new generation of medical professionals lean on gadgets to make healthcare more efficient and cost-effective.

Smartphones and tablets are transforming healthcare by shifting control to patients, but the evolution is not without its challenges.