Everything is changing under the new techno umbrella of digital world. How one of the oldest professions (i guess oldest?) can remain immune. This is really great article in NYTimes I would like to share here. The place is hardly one mile from my medical school in Mumbai.  I wish I ever  get chance to do some qualitative research and interviews here.

Many of prostitutes in this area hails from Poor north east area, Bengal , Nepal and Bangladesh. I think almost all of them might chose this profession to counter the menace of poverty. Anyway enjoy this great piece by Gardinier Harris.

Click :  NYTIMES

Thought this would be relevant to the group – from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

mHealth – Can You Hear Me Now?

One of the areas that’s quickly taking off is the intersection of mobile technology and health, or “mHealth.” Despite the cringe-worthy lower case-m before words, I find a lot going on here is really compelling.

For example, this blog post, has some terrific, short videos from the recent mHealth Summit.  The concept with the videos is a little like Story Corps.  James BonTempo and Linda Raftree (supported by Plan International USA and MCHIP via USAID) co-hosted the “mHealth Reality Booth,” which they hoped would offer some mHealth practitioner insights from folks working on the ground and implementing mHealth programs in some of the less cushy environments.

I sort of love this insight (#7):  “If your paper form is crap, your mobile data collection form will also be crap.”

Yes, indeed. Just making something a “mobile app” doesn’t auto-magically make it valuable.

So glad to see people joining up with the Mobile Technology Research group! I’ve been doing some research related to use of mobile phones by LGBTQ youth of color, including some who are homeless. I’m particularly interested in the sociological implications of this use of mobile technology (i.e., how are the digital and material imbricated), and I’m also interested in the public health implications (i.e., is it possible to use mobile technology to connect people to services, possible even to develop a mobile mental health app?).

Those are just my some of my mobile technology research interests. I envision this blog as a place where any one in the group can post about their own work, or others, or related research that they run across.

I look forward to hearing what other folks are working on or interested in and getting a lively discussion started.