Devices & Diagnostics, Health IT

Report: 100 million wearable health devices to be shipped in next five years

While the mobile health market may still be in its infancy, the world of wearables […]

While the mobile health market may still be in its infancy, the world of wearables is perhaps growing up faster.

Close to 100 million wearable remote patient health monitoring  devices will be shipped over the next five years, according to ABI Research, which says the market is ” boosted by growing interest and awareness about the benefits of supporting healthcare away from the hospital and into patients’ homes.”

It certainly doesn’t hurt that within the last six months, tech behemoths Google, Samsung and, just this week, Apple, have announced plans for remote patient monitoring devices.

Still, the ability to collect and share data securely from a variety of  vendor devices with patients, providers and payers remains a “key part of the emerging opportunity,” according to ABI, and with the aforementioned giants jumping into the game, it’s likely that security and sharing will be more attainable.

“Data has traditionally resided in silos belonging to specific applications delivered primarily by device vendors themselves,” Jonathan Collins, principal analyst at ABI Research, said in a statement. “New cloud platforms capable of collecting data from a range of vendor devices and sharing it securely with a range of related parties including patients, healthcare providers, and payers will drive adoption and bring more connected devices to market.”

Consumer interest, according to ABI, is growing, and established wireless devices from the likes of FitBit and Jawbone have some patients looking for the same functionality from medical devices. For example, glucose monitoring devices from Dexcom, Animas, Medtronic and others are using wearable wireless technology to help patients connect and manage conditions with their providers. And wireless connectivity is increasingly embedded in pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs, ECG monitors and a host of emerging devices focused on specific health conditions and body parameters.

The latest ABI research report, “The Remote Patient Management Revolution: Wearable Devices and Open Management Platforms,” is  part of ABI’s mHealth Wearables, Platforms and Services Market Research.

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