The total market for handheld devices in health care is expected to reach $8.8 billion in 2010, up by 7% from 2009, according to a report published last week by health care market research firm Kalorama Information, InformationWeekreports.
The report — titled “Handhelds in Healthcare: The World Market for PDAs, Tablet PCs, Handheld Monitors, & Scanners” — considered all handheld devices and made predictions for certain health care categories.
For example, the report found that total sales for patient-monitoring products reached $5.3 billion in 2009, accounting for 64% of the market share for handheld devices.
It also found that the administrative devices market — which includes PDAs, smart phones, tablet PCs and inventory/medication scanners — generated about $3 billion in 2009 for a market share of 36%.
The report identified several drivers of handheld device growth in the health care market, including:
An aging population;
Cost restraints;
Government incentives;
Medical error reduction initiatives; and
A shortage of medical professionals (Lewis, InformationWeek, 7/2).
The report also predicted that incentives from the 2009 federal stimulus package will continue to drive increased sales of handheld devices in the health care sector, noting that the incentives “are getting health care organizations to think about IT purchases, and they are helping to make the argument for better electronic data entry” (Byers, CMIO, 7/1).
