As the new year kicks off so, too, do the predictions for mobile and digital health. Pundits ranging from physician consultants and startup CEOs to investors and research analysts were busy last month assembling a wide array of predictions and trends lists for the coming year. Below is MobiHealthNews’ roundup of some of the best:
At a recent conference organized by The Economist, venture capitalist Esther Dyson and FutureMed Executive Director Dr. Daniel Kraft shared some of their thoughts on the state of health and healthcare in 2013. Dyson said that the healthcare system may undergo some changes thanks to changing reimbursement policies but that no dramatic changes should be expected. The real “exciting and dramatic” change will come in what Dyson called “the market for good health”, where user-generated data (quantified self) is a leading trend.
Kraft offered up a number of predictions for 2013 including the rise of inexpensive smart devices like the $35 tablet recently developed in India. Kraft believes physicians will soon begin giving devices like that one away to patients along with prescribed apps that leverage gaming elements to increase patient engagement. Kraft also noted that the fact that we can visit with physicians through our smartphones now is an offering that is going to evolve quickly in 2013.
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