There was no shortage of health-related technology on display this week at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show's Digital Health Summit in Las Vegas. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the number of digital health exhibitors grew by 40 percent since last year, with more than 300 medtech companies vying for space, MD+DI reported.
Three trends, in particular, stood out at the show, according to MD+DI, including:
- Real-time remote monitoring: Several companies showcased products that enable patients receive care in virtually any setting. One company demonstrated a video game for remote rehabilitation geared toward patients with arthritis and balance and gait disorders. Another displayed disposable, adhesive, sensor-based health monitors.
- Self-tracking and wearables: Always a hit at CES, several companies--including FitBit, Sony and LG--trotted out the latest iterations of their wearable products. Research published last month by CEA found that consumer interest in purchasing dedicated wearable fitness devices quadrupled to 13 percent in 2013, from just 3 percent in 2012, making it the largest year-over-year increase for any category of fitness device. A second CEA report, published just prior to the International CES, predicted a more than 142 percent increase in personal health and wellness product sales and software and service revenues over the next five years.
- Aging in place solutions: Seniors increasingly are turning to personal technology to maintain a healthy, yet active lifestyle, which was reflected in products on display at CES. Some such tools enabled real-time monitoring of measures such as weight and blood pressure, as well as the ability to share that data with family members and caregivers, as necessary. A report published by Transparency Market Research published in November predicted that the global medical device connectivity (MDC) market will be worth $33.5 billion by 2019.
The Health IT Policy Committee (HITPC) adopted recommendations from its Consumer Empowerment Workgroup on patient-generated health data (PGHD) at its December meeting and is expected to finalize its complete Stage 3 recommendations in February. The committee reaffirmed that its objective--"patients [should] have the ability to electronically submit patient-generated health information"--should be part of Meaningful Use Stage 3, according to a report from a technical expert panel convened at the request of the Office of the National Coordinator.
To learn more:
- here's the MD+DI post