100 Million Remote Monitoring Devices Will Ship Over Next Five Years: Research Group

Roughly 100 million wearable remote patient monitoring devices are expected to ship over the next five years, according to market analytics forecaster ABI Research. The RPM market is boosted by a growing interest and awareness about the benefits of supporting patients in their homes instead of healthcare facilities.

Over the last six months, companies such as Apple, Samsung and Google have laid out plans to provide RPM services, ABI Research said. This week’s launch of the Apple Watch, which could have potential RPM applications, is the latest example.

RPM will potentially provide greater care and flexibility for patients netting health care providers better efficiency and cost savings. Another key part of RPM devices’ promise is the ability to collect data from a variety of vendor devices and share it with related parties, ABI said.

However, adoption so far has been hindered by such factors as device availability and the high barrier to entry for new players in the market, the research group adds. — Kellen Owings

Subscribe to Devices & Diagnostics Letter for complete coverage of the medical devices industry. Click here for more information.