We’re on the edge of a major shift to Do-It-Yourself healthcare and many don’t even realize it. Sure, everyone acknowledges that people search for health information on Google and they use some health related apps, but I think that’s just the small part of the iceberg that we can see above the water. Here are some stats on the growing digital health market:
A report by Parks Associates in February estimated that in the United States alone, revenue from digital health technology and services would exceed $5.7 billion in 2015, compared with $1.7 billion in 2010, fueled by devices that monitor chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes and by wellness and fitness applications and programs. -Source
More and more people are getting interested in their smartphone as a health device. Plus, I don’t think any health app has really hit that sweet spot yet. There are tens of thousands of people working on it, but I don’t think we’ve really had that breakout health app that everyone has to have on their phone. However, it’s coming and soon.
Plus, there are other signs that health applications are going mainstream. Eric Topol’s been making the media rounds for it on both Rock Center with Brian Williams and The Colbert Report.
What’s going to really tip the scales with healthcare on the smartphone? I think the answer is being able to connect with your doctor on your smart phone. Once that connection is possible, reimbursable, etc. then the masses will adopt it and it will open up a myriad of other opportunities for healthcare on a smart phone.
