Global eHealth market to grow to $160 billion by 2015

The global mHealth market will be worth some $23 billion by 2017, according to a new report published by the GSMA. The authors noted that the larger eHealth market is estimated to grow to $160 billion in 2015, at an average growth rate of 12-16 percent.

The report entitled, Integrating Healthcare: The Role and Value of Mobile Operators in eHealth, concludes that that the healthcare industry is undergoing a fundamental shift as demand increases for services outside hospitals and medical clinics.

Source: GSMA

The GSMA said that mobile operators will have a dramatic impact on the healthcare industry in improving access, reach and quality. They noted that in just the last three years, the industry has witnessed significant strides that mobile operators have made in supporting the larger eHealth enterprise market.

"The findings of the report are in line with what we have witnessed in the market. This is why Aerotel is constantly expanding its range of mobile health solutions that can fit within the operators' mHealth offering," said Ofer Atzmon, Vice President for Business Development and Marketing at Aerotel Medical Systems. "Our cooperation with operators is growing and various joint projects with operators are planned to be launched within the next 6-12 months".

The report identified four major customers of eHealth:

• Healthcare providers
• Public and private healthcare insurers
• Governments
• Healthcare consumers

Drivers of eHealth

According the report, mobile operators contribute to the healthcare industry by improving access, reach and quality to care across the entire patient pathway.

"Over the past few years we've seen mobile operators delivering end-to-end healthcare solutions which have typically been provided by the traditional systems integrator but there is clear evidence supporting operators' emerging role in eHealth," said Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Development Fund. "Today operators have evolved and are best placed to deliver the solutions addressing the issues that the global healthcare industry faces, by lowering costs and making healthcare more accessible." 

Aerotel to present at Exposanità International in Italy

Aerotel Medical Systems will participate at Exposanità International Healthcare Exhibition, which will take place May 16 – 19, 2012 at the Bologna Fair district in Italy.

Aerotel's Italian Country Manager, Pierfranco Borgotallo, will showcase during the conference the company's innovative mobile health and telemedicine solutions at Pad. 26, Stand: C99.

Products offered by Aerotel will include: personal GPS location and tracking system, GeoSkeeper, wireless homecare hub for chronic patient monitoring and disease management, Connect-Cell, and the HeartView, a personal hand-held 12-lead ECG monitor.

Participation at the event is part of Aerotel's aim to increase its activities in the aging Italian and Mediterranean markets. With a growth in health expenditures of 28 percent in the last 7 years, Italy represents an attractive market of telemedicine and mHealth providers.

Figures presented by the organizers indicate that Italy's population over 65 years old is expected to reach 35.3% of the entire population in 2040, well above the European average of 30%. The number of Italians over 80 will reach 14.5% in 2040 compared to 11.5% in Europe. With growing number of people receiving home care, there exists strong potential for growth in home care monitoring devices and telemedicine markets.

Exposanità is Italy’s largest exhibition and one of Europe’s largest events dedicated to healthcare and assistance. The show, which was established 30 years ago, provides a platform for manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. Exposanità is dedicated to hospital products and technologies, handicap and rehabilitation devices, orthopedics, medical innovation, ICT, diagnostics and other themes related to health care and assistance. 

Aerotel receives Med-e-Tel award for dedication to eHealth advancement

Aerotel Medical Systems received a special award at the Med-e-Tel 2012 Conference, which was held at 18-20 April 2012 in Luxembourg, for its tenth consecutive participation at the prestigious event.

The International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth has awarded Aerotel the award noting that it was given to dedicate 10 years of non-stop participation at the Med-e-Tel event.

Ofer Atzmon from Aerotel with the award

The award was presented to Ofer Atzmon, vice president for business development and marketing at Aerotel, who participated at Med-e-Tel and gave two presentations at the event.

"The prestigious award illustrates well the leading position of Aerotel in the fields of telemedicine and eHealth," said Atzmon. "We are proud of being at the forefront of one of the world's fastest growing industries."

During the conference it was well illustrated that governments, healthcare providers and health insurers are turning more and more towards telemedicine and eHealth solutions. These solutions are used as one of the tools to cope with the effects of today's ageing society and tomorrow's reduced healthcare workforce and to address the constant pressure on healthcare budgets and the need for more qualitative and cost effective healthcare.

During the Med-e-Tel conference, Aerotel has showcased its innovative mobile health and telemedicine solutions, including: personal GPS location and tracking system, GeoSkeeper; wireless homecare hub for chronic patient monitoring and disease management, Connect-Cell; and the HeartView, a personal hand-held 12-lead ECG monitor.

Med-e-Tel is an official event of the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth (ISfTeH) and the international federation of national associations, who represent their country’s Telemedicine and eHealth stakeholders.