Via: Accenture
mHealth is proving to be more than just another technology bridge – it is transforming our view of healthcare services.
According to a recent survey conducted by Accenture and sponsored by the GSMA between November 2009 and February 2010, consumers are not only interested in embedded devices and services, like connected health services, but many believe that using them would enrich their lives.
Their report included results from an online survey which polled 1,005 early adopter consumers that own at least four networked devices and use multiple Internet software services. Survey respondents were from the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, India and Brazil.
Accenture also asked respondents more specifically about their opinions on mobile-enabled systems for care givers of elderly persons living alone. Accenture and GSMA defined networked systems for caregivers as “devices that connect to one another and the Internet to monitor a person’s vital signs, level of physical activity, and physical condition, as well as devices that monitor for safety hazards.”
> 41 percent of consumers expressed interest in mHealth systems for caregivers
> 72 percent of those who identified themselves as caregivers also indicated interest
Accenture has recently published a presentation The Dawn of a New Age in Healthcare, from March 2010, that reports the findings for the Healthcare market.
Here are the highlights:
• From the industry perspective, mHealth is poised to take off
• The healthcare market is making significant investment in mHealth
• Builders of mHealth applications are breaking through the barriers that have constrained the industry in the past
• Persistence is revolutionizing business models by transforming products into services (Persistence refers to the always-on/ always-connected nature of networked devices)
• mHealth will achieve critical mass once stand-alone products give way to systems that address more holistic patient needs
• mHealth companies see Mobile Network Operators as significant players in the emerging healthcare ecosystem
• A new infrastructure is needed to facilitate systems that interoperate across devices and regions
• Tech Forwards are a global demographic that leads the way in the adoption of networked devices –including healthcare devices
• Tech Forwards respond favorably to mHealth system for elders that bundles multiple devices and services
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 176,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.58 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2009.
About the GMSA
The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organizations.
The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.
It also produces the premier industry events including Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and Mobile Asia Congress.
About the mHealth Alliance
The mHealth Alliance is dedicated to enabling the delivery of quality health to the farthest reaches of wireless networks in the developing world. Its mission is to be a catalyst and accelerator, supporting leaders, celebrating successes, creating hard research, filling gaps, making connections, and forging public-private partnerships. The Alliance was created by the Rockefeller Foundation, United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation, and includes the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the GSM Association among its founding partners.