According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the nascent mHealth market will be driven by consumer wellness products in the years to come. The report highlights some progress in the adoption of wireless technology among manufacturers of medical monitoring equipment but there is still a long way to go before remote monitoring becomes a standard procedure in the healthcare sector. Instead consumer-oriented health applications are anticipated to take the lead in the mHealth segment.

"We foresee a development where health and medical monitors are networked to the personal handset via Bluetooth or other short-range technologies“, says Tobias Ryberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight. "There will also be a plethora of health-related smartphone apps that will be able to receive and analyze data from medical devices." He adds that health applications is currently one of the fastest growing application categories on Apple's AppStore.

Berg Insight recommends handset manufacturers and mobile operators to work closely with leading suppliers of health and medical equipment to create offerings that take advantage of the opportunities with mobile communication. Standardization bodies such as the Continua Health Alliance will play a vital role in creating interoperability between medical devices and mobile handsets. This will enable application developers to create intelligent smartphone apps that help mobile subscribers keep track of their personal health.

Not so long ago Bluetooth was chosen as Health Device Standard by Continua, and now Zigbee as well. Anyway it is time the people at the Continua Health Alliance learn about CAT-iq!

Read the article

 

The ZigBeeAlliance announced that the Continua Health Alliance has endorsed ZigBee Health Care as Continua's new low power local area network (LAN) standard. ZigBee Health Care offers interference-free wireless connectivity, supporting thousands of devices on a single network. Continua recommends ZigBee for sensing and control in professional settings, homes, recreation centers and across large campuses. Continua Health Alliance is the leading non-profit coalition of major health care and technology companies in the industry.

 

For the Continua Health Alliance Design Guidelines, ZigBee Health Care offers secure, robust, battery-efficient wireless connectivity for patient activity and facilities monitoring while delivering the freedom of wireless operation outside of buildings. ZigBee peacefully coexists with other wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi, a critical requirement for patient safety and use in health care facilities. ZigBee Health Care runs on a wide-range of cost-effective and certified silicon platforms already available from many of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers.

 

"Continua's selection of ZigBee Health Care follows a rigorous technical review and seeing firsthand the ability of ZigBee Health Care to meet the requirements set forth by the Continua Health Alliance," said Rick Cnossen, Continua Health Alliance president and chairman of the Board of Directors. "ZigBee Health Care can be utilized around the world in a wide variety of settings and is particularly well suited for use in low-power LAN applications."

 

Products using the standard will help ageing and physically challenged people remain independent. It also features the security required to protect personal data and conform to regulatory policies.

 

"As one of the leading companies in health care, Philips anticipates the use of ZigBee Health Care in a variety of products," said Paul Coebergh van den Braak, senior director at Royal Philips Electronics and a member of the Continua Board of Directors. "ZigBee Health Care offers a comprehensive standard for both personal monitoring and use along with medical facility use."

 

ZigBee Health Care devices can interact with other ZigBee wireless technologies already deployed in consumer electronics, home automation and commercial building automation.

 

"The ZigBee Alliance looks forward to a long and productive relationship with the Continua Health Alliance and appreciates their selection of ZigBee Health Care for inclusion in the Continua Health Alliance Design Guidelines," said Dr. Robert F. Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "ZigBee Health Care is ready for product manufacturer use today and is backed by a strong ecosystem of suppliers offering certified platforms to suit any device need."

 

Source; Wireless healthcare 

 

Last month I made a link to a productconcept whereby the consumer uses a scale and a wireless connection to control his change of weight (preferrably with a downwards trend).

 

Just today Parks associates relaeses a studt which states that the e-health market is growing rapidly, which is great for the providers, but also for CAT-iq.

 

Service providers are in a unique position to enter the e-Health space, which will grow to serve over seven million people in the U.S. and Europe by 2012, according to a new white paper from Parks associates. These consumers range from seniors with chronic conditions to younger consumers who want to self-manage their personal health.

 

e-Health Opportunities for Global Service Providers, released today on the research firm’s Website, outlines strategies and opportunities for service providers in e-Health, a term that refers to advanced healthcare technologies and electronic delivery of medical services. e-Health offers revenue opportunities for service providers in both the enterprise and consumer markets.

“Service providers cannot ignore the opportunities inherent in the e-Health care model, Millions of people stand to benefit from e-Health applications. Providers should start drafting business plans, forging partnerships, testing hardware and software, and conducting field trials.”

 

The paper asserts that, while the health field is complex, with issues such as insurance and reimbursement, providers have dealt with similarly complicated service sectors. For example, digital television services required negotiating franchise and licensing fees with a variety of different players.

 

“Service providers are in a unique, once-in-a-lifetime position to enter and serve this growing service industry,” Wang said. “The home will be the central location in the new preventive-care model in health applications, with broadband enabling home medical services, telemedicine applications, and patient monitoring.”

At Redesignme, you can find another product/service application for CAT-iq. It's ideas is from the same innovator as the cat-entrance (see previous article in this blog).

 

This idea has to deal with health and weight in combination with online services. This is the idea.

 

It is obvious that the healthcare industry is working on these sort of products/services. And yes there is even an alliance for these companies, called the Continua Health alliance.

 

This is their aim: 'Imagine products so intelligent they help manage one's health at home. Imagine an alliance of the finest companies joining forces to improve the quality of people's lives. Imagine highly integrated systems that seamlessly work together.' This is their site.

 

CAT-iq would fit perfectly in this alliance, but they have chosen Bluetooth!!??

 

AN opportunity for DECT Forum to contact them and make them aware of CAT-iq.