Trends in Health Care - Recap

I have said it over and over again: the healthcare market is one cow ready to be milked. Market Forces like an aging population, health care economics/politics (more and more laws regard the prevention of disease – preventative management), acute need for highly trained specialists and care takers, consumerism drive, increasing demand for portability, ease of use, targeted use, miniaturization and a confusing regulatory pathway shape it into a profitable yet difficult market.

As far device technology goes, the importance of interoperability cannot be stressed enough while the limitations of batteries drive innovation into specific target areas. Wireless is becoming ubiquitous under these considerations (e.g., Bluetooth Health Device Profile) and low energy consumption is also becoming an ardent issue with research into LPR (Low Power Radio) e.g. Zigbee Healthcare and Bluetooth LE. Flexible platforms systems and auto managed power technologies together with and increased RF traffic challenge the tasks of designers.

Promising Forecasts & False Suppositions

The forecasts in the ehealth medium keep pouring down and they put forward very promising scenarios. Deloitte Center for Health Solutions' survey found that 50% of consumers want a "personal monitoring device" to alert and guide them to improve their state of health or treat an already existing condition. A research done by PricewaterhouseCoopers places the market of mobile health applications at $7.7 billion with 40% of U.S. adults "willing to pay". In 2009, McKinsey's survey on mobile health estimated the market at $50 billion to $60 billion worldwide and $20 billion in the U.S. Parks Associates projects the wireless home health monitoring market will reach $4.4 billion in 2013.  Juniper Research places the market of remote patient monitoring via mobile network at $2 billion by 2014.

It cannot be denied that some of these reports are commissioned by various players looking to boost one aspect of the market or another. But what is there behind these numbers?

The buzz about E-Health

The aging population of the West has opened a new booming profitable market: E-health. Nevertheless, it’s not only about the elderly, there are chronic diseases (diabetes, heart diseases, etc.), where 24/7 monitoring is of utmost importance, and also staying fit equipment for those striving to improve their figure. However, e-health has proven to be an ongoing crusade for the healthcare policymakers. While attempts are being made to achieve an integrated European e-health market, since the technology is available so as to secure state-of-the-art user friendly products, the actual results are far from ideal – a few independent solutions introduced by remote companies.