Remote patient monitoring tech can treat more than 200 million people, according to recent report that provides insights into the adoption of wireless solutions.
According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, around 2.8 million patients worldwide were using a home monitoring service based on equipment with integrated connectivity at the end of 2012. The report written by Johan Fagerberg and Lars Kurkinen states that more than 200 million people in the European Union and United States suffers from one or several diseases where remote patient monitoring technology can become a treatment option.
Some of the most common conditions being monitored today are chronic diseases including cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, ischemic diseases, sleep apnea, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Remote patient monitoring provides a solution that can reduce costs, improve care delivery, and quality of life for the patient. However, the adoption is still slow and wireless technologies have only begun to penetrate the market. Barriers to adoption include resistance to change, misaligned incentive structures, and the financing of the wireless industries.
The figure comprises all patients that were using dedicated devices for remote monitoring. Patients using their personal mobile phone, tablet or PC for remote monitoring are not included in this figure.
Berg Insight forecasts that the number of home monitoring systems with integrated communication capabilities will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.9 percent between 2011 and 2017 to reach 9.4 million connections worldwide. The number of devices with integrated cellular connectivity increased from 0.73 million in 2011 to about 1.03 million in 2012, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 46.3 percent to 7.1 million in 2017. mHealth enables more efficient care delivery, decreased costs and improved sustainability of the healthcare system.
The adoption of out-of-hospital wireless monitoring in healthcare is driven by a wide range of incentives, related to everything from demographics and technology development to new advancements in medical treatment
“Widespread use of remote patient monitoring is still years away, but we are moving towards an age where mHealth solutions will become part of standard care pathways. Financial incentives are now coming into place and new mandates are formed that favourably affect the adoption of mHealth solutions. We believe 2013 will be a landmark year as the mHealth industry shifts into a strong growth phase that will last for many years to come”, says Lars Kurkinen, Telecom Analyst, Berg Insight.
The report answers the following questions:
- Which medical conditions offer the best potential for wireless health monitoring solutions?
- Who are the leading providers of medical devices for home monitoring?
- What are the mHealth strategies of mobile operators?
- Which are the general technology trends for home health monitoring equipment?
- What initiatives have been taken by the leading players in the telecom and IT industries?
- How can connectivity redefine the use cases of medical devices and the value propositions to patients and other stakeholders?
- What are the market shares of the top 10 integrated telehealth solution vendors?
- Why are smartphone applications so significant for the mHealth market?
- How can the mobile industry contribute to the adoption of wireless technology in healthcare?
Click here for an executive summary of the report.
Featured image credit: zdnet.com
