Mobile health solutions can cut costs through therapy adherence

Sixty-one per cent of respondents to the sixth mHealth (mobile health) App Developer Economics Survey believe mHealth solutions can cut costs through therapy adherence, while 61 per cent believe mHealth adoption could save costs by shortening or avoiding hospital visits.

The findings of the survey by research firm research2guidance also shed light on the relationship between insurers and mHealth. Respondents feel health insurers offer the second highest market potential as a distribution of solutions (50 per cent), behind app stores (61 per cent), but well ahead of hospitals (38 per cent) and doctors (42 per cent).

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Experts also revealed much optimism about the potential of mHealth solutions to influence many stages of the patient journey, believing the greatest positive impact will be felt in the follow-up and monitoring of conditions as well as through information provision.

Respondents also said positive impacts could be felt in diagnosis and treatment. However, 53 per cent of them revealed they had only "partly achieved their goals" while only four per cent claimed their mHealth "dreams came true" already.