Telehealth to expand rapidly over next five years, study says

NORTHAMPTON, U.K. - By 2017, the number of patients remotely monitored by their healthcare provider is expected to balloon to 1.8 million patients worldwide, according to a new study from InMedica, a medical technology research division of IMS Research. By contrast, in 2012, that number was 308,000, the study states. These patients are being monitored for diseases such as congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, hypertension and mental health conditions. The expected rapid growth for telehealth monitoring is in part a response to healthcare providers seeking to reduce readmission rates. One challenge for telehealth: to become relevant for new conditions, the study states. “A major challenge for telehealth is for it to reach the wider population of ambulatory care patients,” stated Theo Ahadome, senior analyst at InMedica.