Wintergreen Research has recently published a new in-depth analysis of telemedicine and it’s prospects, position, and potential for growth in the market over the next few years. The study has been titled “Telemedicine. Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2012 to 2018.”Wintergreen Research’s study on telemedicine is massive, totaling 509 pages, with 206 tables throughout the document.
What Are The Predictions?
Essentially, Wintergreen Research is convinced that telemedicine is poised to grab a major share of worldwide markets over the next few years.
They also predict that telemedicine will shift away from proprietary devices. As these devices become obsolete, consumer tablet computers and smart phones will be given software that can help repurpose them for telemedicine. Much like cell phone service, telemedicine will simply be a fee for a monthly service, with no extra complicated technology or devices to bring into the home.
What Factors Are Being Considered?
Wintergreen Research emphasizes the fact that chronic disease care plays a huge role in our healthcare expenses. And treating these conditions can be frustrating because patients tend to follow paths that lead inevitably to their own demise. Either a patient takes care of his or herself, and stays healthy, or he or she doesn’t, and they repeatedly visit the hospital with worsening condition.
When Wintergreen Research states the benefits that telemedicine brings to the fight against chronic disease, they do not overstate their case. The benefits are massive. As they phrased it, when “left to their own judgments, some patients typically are apt to make terrible decisions relating to their personal health.” They continue to say that people make these decisions out of either “ignorance, genetic inheritance, or … lifestyle habit.”
But telemedicine can be used as a “way to extend clinical to make them part of lifestyle consultation.” Following this path is one of the only ways we can start to make progress in the face of our financial healthcare crisis, and Wintergeen Research’s report reflects an acute awareness of that fact.
Other Benefits of Telemedicine
Wintergreen Research also mentions another important factor, which is that physician care can be much more responsive to the changing needs of a patient based on their ongoing health changes.
Many of these changes will occur through the use of FDA-approved software that can be downloaded on typical mobile devices. Much of this software isn’t available yet, but as it becomes available, a free download will replace an expensive home installation. This simple difference will revolutionize telemedicine delivery.