Around 2.8 million patients worldwide were using a home monitoring service based on equipment with integrated connectivity at the end of 2012, according to a new study from Berg Insight. The firm claims that the number of home monitoring systems with integrated communications capabilities will grow at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 27 per cent between 2011 and 2017 to reach 9.4 million connections worldwide. The study said that 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 per cent to 7.1 million in 2017.
"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 Berg Insight analyst Lars Kurkinen. Article