Increasing competition and sales abroad drove an 80 percent spike in activity tracker shipments in 2015 and consumer demand is projected to hit 87 million devices in 2021.
The wearable wireless device adoption rate is spurring use of connected medical services, according to an ABI Research announcement.
"As they continue to proliferate, they will spur greater investment in mHealth device development and adoption, as well as the services that can help bring the data these devices collect into health care provision," said Jonathan Collins, ABI Research principal analyst.
Yet ABI Research notes that use of connected medical devices is not only tied to availability and appeal, but also a required supporting infrastructure for data collection and sharing.
"While activity trackers are far from being medical devices, their ongoing appeal is pushing investment into the network platforms and infrastructure required to bring mHealth data into the realm of healthcare services," Collins said.
ABI Research expects to see an increasing number of device maker partnerships and an expanding number of wearable fitness form factors. Announcement