According to the latest report by Juniper Research, the combination of the smartphone and the app stores has created a vibrant market for mHealth apps which are forecast to reach 142 million downloads globally by 2016.
Mobile apps already cover a wide range of mHealth use cases, from medical calculators to monitoring software. However, it’s the hardware peripherals connected to a smartphone that will greatly extend the capabilities of these apps.
Speaking of peripherals, they will enable the smartphone to become an important portable accessory to the healthcare establishment for both diagnosis and relaying medical data to healthcare staff, states the report.
Juniper’s report author Anthony Cox suggests that the acceptance of new healthcare practices like remote patient monitoring will come directly from consumers becoming engaged in mHealth through the smartphone.
Other findings from the report include:
- Clarification from the US FDA is still required but is expected to add further impetus to the market.
- Significant cost-savings can be achieved through remote patient monitoring in developed markets through the avoidance of hospital stays and outpatient appointments.
- The US has a notable lead over other developed economies for remote patient monitoring due to the structure of the healthcare industry and insurance funding.
And you can get additional information on Juniper’s report from their website.