10 Key Trends Shaping the mHealth market until 2017

By Claire Thayer, July 24, 2013

This week, Research and Markets announced the release of their newest report, Mobile Health Trends and Figures 2013-2017. Those of you following mHealth trends won’t be surprised to see predictions that the mHealth market will develop in line with the smartphone application market. According to the press release, five years from now, the mHealth market will be a mass market with a reach of billions of smartphone and tablet users. By that time, 50% of these users will have downloaded mHealth applications.  Further, by the end of 2017, the total mHealth market revenue will have grown by 61%.  The main sources of revenue will not come from application download revenue itself, but from mHealth services and hardware sales. This new report shows that the market for mobile health application will develop along the following trends:

1. Smartphone user penetration will be the main driver for the mHealth uptake
2. mHealth applications will be tailored specifically for smartphones or tablets
3. mHealth applications will be native rather than web-based applications
4. mHealth niche stores will become the home of the 2nd generation of mHealth apps
5. Missing regulations are the main market barrier during the commercialization phase
6. Buyers will continue to drive the market
7. Applications will enter traditional health distribution channels
8. mHealth market will grow mainly in countries with high Smartphone penetration and health expenditure
9. 2nd generation mHealth applications will focus on chronic diseases
10. mHealth business models will broaden 

The complete report also provides a detailed outlook on future market size and revenue models for mhealth growth trends.  Looking for resource on mobile apps for healthcare?  Check out MCOL’s mhealthshare site, the home for mobile health app information. Visit regularly to keep current on mobile health app developments with health plans, hospitals, medical groups, government, solutions providers and other healthcare business stakeholders. mhealthshare publishes a periodic e-newsletter that features an mhealth factoid, quote, news items, video, blogs, and lists for all the latest happenings for mobile healthcare apps.  View the current edition here, or better yet, sign up for a free subscription to receive periodic editions of the e-newsletter.