The last decade saw the start of the smartphone revolution. Ten years ago, the iPhone was just three years old, around a quarter of us owned a smartphone, and the term mHealth was first coined. Now in 2020, when COVID-19 has accelerated Digital Health adoption, 327,000 health apps are available from which 5 million are downloaded every day.
But, whilst there has been an explosion within the fitness industry and uptake for GP online services and consultations have seen dramatic growth during lock down, mHealth is not yet part of the fabric of healthcare systems, nor is it widely adopted amongst those who could perhaps benefit the most.
As we entered 2020 ORCHA asked worldwide mHealth leaders from Estonia, Netherlands, USA and UK: What will the next decade bring? What will apps deliver by 2030? What will be the biggest barriers faced by the industry? And what do governments need to do to contribute?
Read why Priit Tohver, Advisor for e-services and innovation at the Ministry of Social Affairs in the Estonian Government says: “Apps can be pivotal in elevating the patient from consumer to partner in their own care.”
Joe Kvedar, Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School and MD, Connected Health, explain “Focus on meeting the user’s health and entertainment needs, must be complemented by science and evidence.”
