Approximately 2.8 million patients worldwide were using a home monitoring service based on equipment with integrated connectivity at the end of 2012, according to the Swedish-based analyst firm Berg Insight.

Berg predicts that the number of home monitoring systems with integrated communication capabilities will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.9 percent between 2011 and 2017 to reach 9.4 million connections worldwide. The number of devices with integrated cellular connectivity increased from 0.73 million in 2011 to about 1.03 million in 2012, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 46.3 percent to 7.1 million in 2017. The figure comprises all patients that were using dedicated devices for remote monitoring; patients using their personal mobile phone, tablet or PC for remote monitoring are not included.

mHealth enables more efficient care delivery, decreased costs and improved sustainability of the healthcare system. The new care models enabled by these technologies are often consistent with patients’ preferences of living more healthy, active and independent lives. “Widespread use of remote patient monitoring is still years away, but we are moving towards an age where mHealth solutions will become part of standard care pathways. Financial incentives are now coming into place and new mandates are formed that favourably affect the adoption of mHealth solutions. We believe 2013 will be a landmark year as the mHealth industry shifts into a strong growth phase that will last for many years to come”, Lars Kurkinen, telecom analyst  for Berg Insight, said in a statement.