NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, October 4, 2012

MORE doctors in developed and emerging markets have identified adoption of mobile technology in healthcare as an inevitable means to boost health care services.

According to global study conducted for Pricewaterhousecoopers (Pwc) Global Healthcare by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) , consumers are ready to adopt m Health (mHealth) faster than the health industry is prepared to adopt.

The report said consumers have high expectations for mHealth, particularly in developing economies as mobile cellular subscriptions there become ubiquitous.

It added that in emerging markets, consumers perceive mHealth as a way to increase access to healthcare while patients in developed markets see it as a way to improve the convenience, cost and quality of healthcare.

According to PwC, if the promise of mHealth is realised by consumers, the impact on healthcare delivery could be significant and fundamentally alter traditional relationships within the healthcare industry.

It explained that the use of mHealth and speed of adoption will be determined in each country by stakeholders’ response to mHealth as a disruptive innovation to overcome structural impediments and align interests around patients’ needs and expectations.