Around 2.2 million patients worldwide are using a home monitoring service based on equipment with integrated connectivity at the end of 2011, said a report.

The figure does not include patients that use monitoring devices connected to a PC or mobile phone, said the new research report from analyst firm Berg Insight.

It only includes systems that rely on monitors with integrated connectivity or systems that use monitoring hubs with integrated cellular or fixed-line modems.

Berg Insight forecasts that the number of home monitoring systems with integrated communication capabilities will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent between 2010 and 2016 reaching 4.9 million connections globally by the end of the forecast period.

The number of these devices that have integrated cellular connectivity increased from 0.42 million in 2010 to about 0.57 million in 2011, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 34.6 percent to 2.47 million in 2016.

Some of the most common conditions being monitored today are chronic diseases including cardiac arrhythmia, sleep apnea, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

These conditions cause substantial costs and reduce both life expectancy and quality of life. Berg Insight estimates that more than 200 million people in the EU and the US suffer from one or several chronic diseases where home monitoring can become a treatment option.

“Home monitoring solutions that can communicate over a cellular network, landline connection or the Internet have already reached significant volumes within cardiac rhythm management, integrated telehealth solutions, sleep therapy and cardiac event monitoring,” said Lars Kurkinen, telecom analyst, Berg Insight.

He added that connectivity is gaining momentum in several other segments as well, such as glucose meters and medication adherence systems.

Leveraging connectivity technologies in the healthcare industry can lead to decreased costs, more efficient care delivery and improved sustainability of the healthcare system. New care models enabled by these technologies are also often consistent with patients’ preferences of living healthier, active and independent lives, the report said.

Progress is being made in the adoption of wireless technology among manufacturers of medical monitoring equipment. However, there is still a long way to go before remote monitoring becomes a standard practise in the healthcare sector. – TradeArabia News Service