According to Frost & Sullivan, a Mountain View, Calif.-based research firm, the mobile health (mHealth) industry has significant opportunity for growth thanks to the rise of personalized and preventative medicine, the rapid advancements in IT, and the “ubiquity of cellular phones and mobile-enabled monitoring technologies.”

The research’s authors say mHealth helps provide personalized disease management tools which in turn, better manage predicted symptoms, chronic illness, and episodic acute conditions. The research says as more healthcare IT and patient monitoring tools are integrated, every hospital facility will have to acquire a full-enterprise wireless solution.

"Meanwhile, the rising survivability rates of patients with cardiovascular disease and other debilitating conditions, as well as the aging of the patient pool, will test the efficacy and validity of mHealth solutions,” said Frost & Sullivan analyst Prasanna Vadhana Kanna said in a statement.

mHealth meets many of doctors needs, the research says, including monitoring patient compliance, assessing patient records, and communicating with their global counterparts. Also, it says referral initiatives will go a long way in boosting the uptake of mHealth solutions. Physicians, the researchers say, must highlight the features and benefits of mHealth services and applications so that end users are aware of the potential of mHealth solutions in reducing health risks and improving healthcare efficiency.

On the other side, Frost & Sullivan expects developers to a better understanding of the nature of security breach concerns and take necessary precautions for mHealth within the next three to four years, 

In addition, they say regulatory agencies and medical establishments need to strike a balance between the risks and benefits of specific mHealth applications.