Description
Mobile Health Device (mhealth) Markets
Mobile health, or mHealth, can be loosely defined as the evaluation and delivery of healthcare using mobile and wireless devices. However, despite its simple description, the mHealth segment involves a complex and wide range of services, devices, software products, regulatory webs, market participants and end users. This complex framework requires the coordination of several parties and compatibility of several systems to provide a seamless network of health delivery.
The process of mobile health involves using network service providers, such as AT&T and Verizon and smartphone and tablet manufactures such as Apple and Samsung, which combined offer the mHealth product and service market.
Mobile health (mhealth) systems are emerging in response to increased healthcare needs of an aging population, new wireless technologies, better video and monitoring technologies, decreasing healthcare resources, an emphasis on reducing hospital days, and growing confidence in cost-effectiveness. Increases in spending have been seen in countries with growing economies such as Brazil and China. Some regional markets have experienced a slowing in the economic growth, but growth in healthcare spending is expected to continue due to increases in national coverage and health reform policies in areas like China.
The largest healthcare segments in terms of healthcare expenditures are:
- Hospital care
- Clinical care
- Prescription drugs
- Other personal care
Physicians, medical students, nurses and other healthcare workers often use a variety of information sources each day. The use of mobile devices and applications (mobile device software) has proven itself to be efficient way for professionals to stay connected as the industry grows and changes.
Smartphone applications or “apps” can be developed for numerous types of processes including education, health management, data management, health information, and other workflow processes. Not only is the medical community using smartphones and their applications for basic work, but they are reporting using smartphones in replacement for some of the work that would have previously been done on a desktop or laptop computer. The growing use of mobile medical devices and applications for these devices has prompted the Food and Drug Administration to provide more oversight in this segment.
Additionally, consumers are adopting mobile devices at an extraordinary pace and the use of medical apps in this market is growing due to a overall update of medical device confidence and a growing base of patients battling chronic diseases..
The information for this report was gathered using both primary and secondary research. Primary research included telephone interviews and email correspondence with information technology companies, mobile communication providers, . Specific interviews with IT company representatives included marketing directors, division managers, and product representatives were conducted.
All market data pertains to the global market with selective regional and country data. The base year for data was 2015. Historical data was provided for 2010 through 2014 with forecast data provided for the years 2016 through 2020. The forecasted market analysis for 2015-2020 was highly influenced by the uptake of new technologies in the health industry, government incentives and requirements, product marketing, availability and demographic trends.
