Number of remotely monitored patients to reach 4.9 million by 2016

The number of home monitoring systems with integrated communication capabilities is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 percent until 2016, according to a report published by Berg Insight.

The report, titled 'mHealth and Home Monitoring' forecasts, that the number of patients worldwide using remote monitoring solutions will more than double to 4.9 million by the end of 2016, compared to 2.2 million today.
 
"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," said Lars Kurkinen and Johan Fagerberg, analysts at Berg Insight. "There are, however, a number of barriers, including resistance to change among healthcare organizations and clinicians, misaligned incentive structures and the financing of wireless solutions by what is at large an underfunded healthcare sector."
 

The report indicates that the most common conditions that can be monitored by mHealth systems are chronic diseases, from which over 200 million patients in the EU and the US suffer. These diseases include cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, ischemic diseases, sleep apnea, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
 
Berg analysts said that applying information and communication technologies in the healthcare industry can lead to decreased costs, more efficient care delivery and improved sustainability of the healthcare system.
 

The report, which names Aerotel Medical Systems as one of the leading providers of mHealth solutions, shows that the number of devices that have integrated cellular connectivity rose to 570,000 from only 420,000 in 2010. The number is expected to surge at a CAGR of 34.6% to 2.47 million in 2016.
 
Several companies have developed integrated solutions for monitoring multiple chronic diseases and other conditions. The six leading providers of integrated telehealth systems include the major technology and electronics companies Bosch, Honeywell, Philips and Bayer, as well as the small specialist telehealth companies Cardiocom, and Numera.

Caregivers willing to invest more than patients on home health monitoring

The number of US consumers, who care for an ill family member, that are willing to pay for a home health monitoring service, is 100 percent higher than the number o those willing to pay for the same services for themselves, according to a report by research company Parks Associates.

The report indicates that some 20% of US consumers are willing to pay for remote monitoring service, while only some 10% were willing to spend money for themselves.

The survey, titled Uptake of Personal Health Tools & Services, shows that motivations for adopting home health monitoring include:

• Concerns by caregivers that they will be unable to accurately measure and track their loved one’s vital signs.
• Fear that they will be unable to detect warning signs of health decline.
• Acknowledgment that home monitoring is a good solution.

The report showed that over 70%, of those caring or planning to care for a fragile senior, feared most that the person in their care would take an accidental fall. 

“There is a self-pay market for home health monitoring, but interest is stronger among caregivers than patients,” said Harry Wang, director, Parks Associates’ health research team. “Companies in this market segment should target caregivers and emphasize how these technologies can quell their anxieties and help overcome the immense challenges of caring for a loved one who is sick or infirm.”

Telehealth market to mature in 2012

Telehealth solutions will start to be used by healthcare providers on a much wider scale from 2012 onwards, according to a recent report by research company InMedica, which specializes in the medical devices industry.

The report forecasts that the number of gateways used in telehealth applications will increase to over one million in 2014 and to around 3.6 million in 2018.

The report authors believe that initiatives taken by governments and private healthcare providers to increase reimbursements and reduce the legal and liability issues will help in the roll out of telehealth as a mainstream technology for remote disease and home health monitoring.

According to InMedica, in 2009, health hubs were the most widely used telehealth gateways, constituting about 80% of the total gateways market. In the short to medium term, health hubs are expected to remain the most practical solution for professional healthcare providers, as the infrastructure can then be standardized and simplified on a large scale.

The report notes that the number of integrated cellular handsets used as telehealth gateways is expected to reach over 350 thousand in 2014.

“The use of mobile phones as telehealth gateways has had a surge of interest over the last couple of years; with patients and device companies recognizing the benefits of data transmission on the move," writes Neha Khandelwal, market research analyst at InMedica. "We anticipate that cellular service providers will play an increasingly important role in the long-term future of the telehealth market.”