Is Mobile the Future of Healthcare?

Last year when I had a triple bypass, I was in the hospital for almost two weeks. During that time doctors and nurses often poked in and out of my room carrying smartphones, tablets, and various other mobile devices used to monitor my vitals and reference info related to my condition. In fact, many doctors tucked iPad minis into the pockets of their white coats. Their application of choice was the Physician Desk Reference, a medicine reference bible.

Outside the hospital, mobile health (or mHealth) devices like the Nike+ FuelBand, Jawbone UP($28.49 at Walmart), Fitbit($125.00 at Amazon), and Misfit Shine help people of all ages monitor things like steps taken, sleep patterns, and calories burned. Depending on the device, you can even earn points for being active which motivates users to hit their daily goals.

I have found fitness trackers to be invaluable during my recovery and they will play a major role in my continued quest for better health. In fact, I wear the Nike+ FuelBand, Misfit Shine, and Fitbit all the time. They are not only monitors, but have become motivators as I take their point programs seriously and try and beat my records as often as I can.

I used to run five miles three times a week to stay fit, but since my knee gave out years ago, that's no longer an option. So I walk. And while I walk, I use the MapMyWalk app, which is tied to my phone's GPS radio and accurately records my distance and pace, which is also a great motivator. In addition I use Heart Rate, an app that enlists my smartphone's camera to record my pulse during my walks. According to an infographic by GreatCall, there are more than 97,000 other mobile apps related to health and fitness and the top 10 apps generate up to four million free and 300,000 paid downloads per day.

According to a new study from Transparency Market Research, the global mHealth market is expected to reach $10.2 billion by 2018, up from $1.3 billion in 2012 at a compound annual growth rate of 41.5 percent from 2012 to 2018. But while fitness-based monitors and apps are a good first step, the real promise of mobile devices lies in their ability to assist in a wider range of medical issues.

The report also states, "The most impactful trend witnessed in the mHealth market is the growth in remote patient monitoring. Remote monitoring of patients can help reduce costs significantly by reducing the amount of time the patient spends in hospitals and also by lowering the frequency of follow-up visits to the physician. In addition, quick service and ease of use functionalities, and rising healthcare expenditure are supporting faster adoption of mHealth applications. Moreover, increasing demand for independent aging solutions and post-acute care services are also aiding the mHealth market growth."

Monitoring our health becomes more vital as we age but younger generations have also taken to mobile health devices. At the same time, the medical world clearly sees the potential of these mobile devices and I expect just about every company focused on healthcare will be exploring ways to deliver mHealth devices or services.

We are already seeing connected blood glucose meters designed for diabetics to take and store daily blood sugar readings. The devices make sharing easy, so patients can send data to doctors to analyze the numbers and adjust insulin or oral medications as needed. Other telemedicine examples abound, like using FaceTime to show doctors skin rashes or wounds for out-patient diagnostics.

And the trend extends to education too. Recently, a doctor wore Google Glass while performing surgery and live-streamed the procedure, which is a great example of a mobile technology being used to teach medical students in real time.

Mobile device makers and service providers also see mHealth as a major opportunity and have various programs in the works. The one I am the most interested in is the rumored Apple iWatch. Last month, Apple hired Jay Blahnik, a fitness expert who advised Nike on its FuelBand. While details of what he will actually do at Apple are vague, it is likely he is working on adding a fitness component to the rumored device.

In fact, I would not be surprised if Apple released a dedicated mobile fitness device ahead of an iWatch. After all, CEO Tim Cook has become a real fan of the Nike Fuel Band and I am sure he has had some ideas of his own on how to improve on it.

Any market with $10 billion potential is worth watching but this market has more than just financial appeal. It represents innovative approaches to solve health problems and makes mobile technology highly strategic to our overall wellbeing.