Jerry Fahrni

mobihealthnews: “According to a recent report from Ernst & Young, pharmaceutical companies led by Merck and Novartis have increased their investments in mobile phone apps and educational websites by 78 percent. The apps and sites generally aim to encourage patients to take their medications, eat well and exercise more often, according to the report. “ – The article goes on to say that of the 97 projects launched by pharma companies that made use of information technology, 41 percent were designed for smartphones. That’s no accident people. Smartphones, i.e. mobile computers that can make calls too, are becoming ubiquitous in the U.S. I don’t think the desktop computer is going away any time soon, but computing on the go is certainly getting easier.

Over the summer I participated in research2guidance‘s online mobile health developers‘ survey.

In total there were 231 participating companies ranging from start-up mHealth specialists to traditional healthcare market players.

Basically the survey reveals that smartphothes, i.e. mobile devices, will have a significant impact on healthcare over the next few years. I don’t think anyone is surprised by this information, but it’s certainly nice to see validation in the form of a survey. Granted, surveys aren’t the best way to gauge whats happening in the market, but it’s better than nothing.

Some of the results of the survey are:

• Nearly 80% of respondents see diabetes as the therapeutic area with the highest business potential
• Almost 70% of survey participants agree that app developers and agencies will be the main players in the market
• Smartphone penetration is seen as the main driver for mHealth by 63% of respondents
• Lack of standardization (50%), regulation (49%) and market transparency (49%) are the main barriers facing mHealth
• Doctors and hospitals are seen as the best distribution channel for mHealth apps by 2015
• Android and iOS will be preferred mobile platforms for mHealth solutions

You can get a free copy of the basic results in the form of a whitepaper at the research2guidance website.

A more detailed report called “Global mHealth Market Report 2010-2015” can also be found at the research2guidance website, but you’ll have to open up your checkbook. As a participant I received a dicount code for the full report (10% discount code: 3EEX8QH). Enjoy.