Dubai: The rapid emergence of mobile health technology will revolutionise future health care delivery and management by saving lives and reducing the economic burden imposed by growing chronic conditions, experts said at The Mobile Show.
"Governments across the world are now implementing public health pilots that use mHealth to promote connected care delivery and management across their network of health care sites," Joanna Rubinstein, director of the Centre for Global Health and Economic Development, said.
She said mobile technology has been adapted to enhance health care delivery and management over the last decade, during which mobile technology has become essential in day-to-day life. The digitalisation of medical information for exchange through a connected health care infrastructure demonstrates the key changes taking place to attempt to modernise the medical market space.
‘Unique catalyst'
"mHealth is a critical tool for strengthening health systems and it is a unique catalyst that brings together the private sector, public sector, civil society and academia to strengthen health systems, foster innovation and economic growth and improve the lives of millions," she said.
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the worldwide mHealth market will grow to a revenue opportunity worth $23 billion (Dh84.4 billion) by 2017. The global wireless health market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 19.43 per cent from 2011-2016. The handheld devices and apps segment, composed of the mobile devices and mobile apps, is one of the main contributors to the wireless health market growth globally.
According to estimates shared at the meeting, more than seven billion connected devices will be in circulation by the end of the year.
"Health applications that you can download to smartphones are proliferating fast as the market for mobile computing booms," Faisal Bin Zarah, head of adjacent services department at Mobily, said.
