The development of low-cost, high-quality smartphones is changing the way that patients and doctors communicate with one another. This new trend is the result of medical device companies teaming up with software developers to harness the innate processing power of smartphones and produce a variety of diagnostic and health monitoring information. Their efforts have led to the creation of mobile health devices that enable the more than 2.5 billion mobile phone users in the Asia Pacific region to communicate with doctors, self-diagnose ailments, and monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and glucose levels.
Increased access to smartphones and the internet suggest that the mobile health market will enjoy a compound annual growth rate of more than 30% during the next four years. Allied Market Research values the global mobile health market at nearly $11 billion. With the number of mobile phone users in the Asia Pacific expected to grow from 2.5 billion to more than 3 billion in the coming years, mobile health technologies will become even more accessible. By taking advantage of these trends, medical device companies can tap into a growing market that is demanding better, cheaper healthcare services.
Mobile Health Capabilities
Mobile phone apps allow patients to easily track basic health data such as heart rhythms and blood pressure. Patients can buy portable blood pressure-monitors, electrocardiogram (ECG) machines and blood glucose meters, and then use a physical cable or wireless Bluetooth system to send the results to their smartphone. The corresponding app then keeps track of a patient’s daily health data for personal use or can be used to send the results to a local physician for further review.
Medical device companies are also developing a wide range of diagnostic tests that will allow individuals to perform routine lab exams in the comfort of their own home. To use these devices, patients gather a small sample of their blood, sweat, urine or other fluid and place it into a small device that plugs directly into their smartphone. An application on the smartphone can then analyze the results and provide a basic analysis. Future developments will allow patients to have various nano devices implanted in the body or dispersed into their blood stream. These new technologies will allow patients to have even greater awareness of their body’s medical needs and could help them decide if they need to visit a doctor for further consultation.
Another use of smartphones allows people to take pictures of their ailments, injuries or concerns and then send them to a trained physician who will provide advice. These pictures and videos can be used in tandem with tele medicine services to allow doctors to diagnose and potentially treat patients remotely. The San Francisco-based Cell Scope is currently marketing Oto Scope, a device that attaches to a cell phone camera and allows parents to peer into their child’s inner ear. The device enables parents to send high-quality pictures to trained physicians who then determine if the child is suffering from an ear infection.
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