Health Devices in Homes Stimulate Global Telemedicine Market

Growing acceptance of home patient monitoring technology will help to enlarge the global telemedicine market to $2.5 billion by 2018, more than triple the 2011 market of $736 million, according to the British market research firm Companies & Markets.

“Home patient monitoring means two things: the imminent rise of the expert patient whom the health authorities anticipate would self-manage his long-term medical conditions, and the prominence of mobile devices as the go-between for clinicians and patients,” the firm reports.

Advanced telemedicine devices and software will monitor patients’ vital signs from their homes, providing early warning if intervention is needed, according to the report. Clinicians also can monitor certain lifestyle choices and use telemedicine connections to promote healthier behavior, potentially averting health crises, the market researchers say.

And as the market grows, home patient monitoring could also reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits, researchers predict.