mHealth uptake promises new opportunities

With three in 10 Americans reporting they’d use their mobile phones to track and monitor their personal health—and 40 percent saying they would be willing to pay for a remote monitoring device that sends health information directly to their doctors—the new-but-fast-growing mHealth market promises significant business opportunities for organizations using consumer technologies to support preventative, acute and chronic care.

According to Healthcare Unwired—a report presented by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Wednesday at the mHealth Initiative 2nd International mHealth Conference in San Diego—wireless technology, remote monitoring and mobile devices are changing the nature of healthcare, enabling the delivery of care in ways that are proving to reduce healthcare costs and keep people healthier.

PwC’s research draws on a nationwide survey of 2,000 consumers and 1,000 physicians, who provided feedback regarding their use and preferences for remote and mobile health services and devices.
 
Among consumers:

• 31 percent would be willing to incorporate an application into their existing cell phone or smart phone to be able track and monitor their personal health information
• 40 percent would be willing to pay for a device and a monthly subscription fee for a mobile phone application that sends text and e-mail reminders to take their medications, refill prescriptions or to access their medical records and track their health
• 56 percent like the idea of remote healthcare, and 41 percent would prefer to have more of their care delivered via a mobile device

Physicians are warming to mHealth, too:

• 88 percent would like their patients to be able to track and/or monitor their health at home, especially their weight, blood sugar levels and vital signs
• 57 percent would like to use remote devices to monitor the patients outside of the hospital, provided the information is filtered.

The report goes on to identify three emerging business models for organizations looking to capitalize on mobile health, including:  development of consumer products and services; operational and clinical support, and infrastructure that focuses on security, speed and integration of information.

The fly in the ointment, of course, is reimbursement, since neither public nor private insurers have pushed for the adoption of mobile health. But that’s starting to change, with some now paying for remote monitoring devices that help reduce hospital readmission costs—and some physicians receiving limited reimbursement for phone consultations, e-mail consults, telehealth and texting.