Mobile Health Apps Generated over $700M in Revenue in 2011
In 2011, mobile health applications generated around $718 million in revenue, roughly seven times more than the estimated $100 million generated in the previous year, according to a report from Research2Guidance. However, the report states that the mobile health market still is in its infancy and could see much more growth in the coming years.
Key Findings
The report predicts that mobile health device and service sales will become the main drivers of revenue for the mobile health market in 2012 and in the following years.
According to the report, other factors could contribute to increased mobile health revenue over the next four years, including:
- Advertising on mobile health applications
- Paid downloads
- Transactional revenue
Demand for Mobile Health IT Continues To Rise
The demand for mobile health tools among health care providers will most likely increase over the next few years, according to a new report by IDC Health Insights.
While gathering data for the report—which was sponsored by Intel—researchers reviewed results from an online survey of mobile health decision makers at 50 hospitals in the U.S. as well as Western Europe.
Key Findings
The report found that:
- 42% of all respondents reported that physicians at their organization had high to very high adoption rates for mobile health tools; and
- 86% predicted that physician adoption rates of mobile health tools would rise over the next one to two years.
Respondents reported using an average of 6.4 different mobile devices every day. According to the report:
- 84% of respondents reported using laptops while working
- 56% reported using PC tablet computers; and
- 54% reported using wheeled workstations.
Respondents cited concerns about data security and cost as the two biggest barriers to adopting mobile health tools.
Based on the results from the survey, IDC Health Insights has predicted that spending on mobile health technologies will continue to increase through 2015, driven primarily by software spending, infrastructure upgrades, and data security rather than spending on hardware.
Lawmaker Implores HHS to Address “Alarm Fatigue”
Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has written a letter to HHS (Health and Human Services) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius imploring her urge the Institute of Medicine to address “alarm fatigue” reports the Boston Globe‘s “White Coat Notes.”
Alarm fatigue refers to the desensitization to audible and visual alarms that caregivers experience when they become overloaded with those alarms from numerous medical devices.
Details of the Letter
In his letter, Markey made reference to the Boston Globe story from February 2011 that first brought national awareness to alarm fatigue. That story reported that problems with health monitor alarms led to 216 or more deaths in the U.S. between 2005 to 2010.
Markey also cited a separate Globe story from December 2011 that reported that 119 deaths in the U.S. were connected to similar situations involving ventilator alarms since 2005.
Markey wrote that Institute of Medicine should “develop best practice guidelines for device manufacturers and health care providers to protect patient safety and avoid alarm fatigue and other alarm-related safety concerns” (Kowalczyk, “White Coat Notes,” Boston Globe, 12/15).
Markey wrote that these “best practice guidelines” should cover three areas:
- How device manufacturers can help reduce the number of unnecessary alarms and false positives;
- Steps hospitals can take to ensure that caregivers are trained to reduce alarm fatigue; and
- What the FDA (the body that regulates medical device manufacturers) can do to improve adverse event reporting
ECRI Institute Release Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2012
ECRI Institute has released its annual list of the top ten health technology hazards. The ranking for the 2012 list is as follows:
1. Alarm hazards
2. Exposure hazards from radiation therapy and computed tomography (CT)
3. Medication administration errors using infusion pumps
4. Cross-contamination from flexible endoscopes
5. Inattention to change management for medical device connectivity
6. Enteral feeding misconnections
7. Surgical fires
8. Needlesticks and other sharp injuries
9. Anesthesia hazards due to incomplete pre-use inspection
10. Poor usability of home-use medical devices
It is worth noting that this is the first time alarm hazards have taken the No.1 spot on the list. According to the publication, alarm-related adverse scenarios can occur due to a variety of factors, including:
1. Alarm fatigue, in which staff become overwhelmed by the sheer number of alarms. This can result in alarm desensitization, which in turn can lead to missed alarms or delayed alarm response. Consequently, staff may take inappropriate steps such as: a. Improperly adjusting alarm limits outside the safe and appropriate range for a particular patient in an attempt to reduce the number of alarms. If such modifications are made without careful consideration of the patient’s condition and the alarm’s function, the alarm may be set in such a way that it effectively becomes disabled. b. Turning down the volume of alarms to an inaudible level in an attempt to reduce alarm fatigue and reduce stress on the patient and family. 2. Staff being unable to distinguish the urgency level of alarms or tell which device an alarm is coming from. 3. Alarms not being restored to the active setting after being put on standby (e.g., while the patient has left the floor for testing). 4. Alarms not being properly relayed to ancillary notification systems (e.g., paging system, wireless phones), potentially leading to a failure to notify relevant staff. 5. A lack of adequate alarm-notification and -response protocols. 6. Failure to promptly troubleshoot and correct leads-off alarms or frequent nuisance alarms caused by artifact. ECRI Institute’s decision to move alarm hazards to the top of the list is a reflection of the growing national concern for alarm safety. Public interest in alarm safety has been growing since February 2011 when The Boston Globe ran a series of stories chronicling the issue of alarm fatigue and the dangers it poses to patient safety. Since then, National Public Radio has discussed the issue, both CBS and NBC have dedicated time to discussing the causes and risks of alarm fatigue, and in October, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) co-hosted a conference with ECRI Institute to discuss the challenges of addressing alarm fatigue.FDA Weighs In On Mobile Medical Applications
The FDA will host a public workshop on September 12th and 13th, 2011 to collect input on the agency’s recently released draft guidance document, “Mobile Medical Applications.” The FDA issued the guidance in July to officially notify manufacturers, distributors, and other interested partied about how the agency plans to regulate software applications (“apps”) that are being increasingly on mobile devices in the healthcare arena.
The FDA’s new guidance defines a “mobile medical app” as a software application on a mobile platform that is “either (1) used as an accessory to a regulated medical device; or (2) transforms a mobile platform into a regulated medical device.” The “mobile medical app” must also meet the qualifications listed in the definition of “device” under Section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. That definition includes an instrument, apparatus, machine, or a related article that is “intended for use in diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease for humans or other animals.”
Use of Apps Spreading in Healthcare
Mobile apps are being used increasingly by individuals as tools to help manage personal health and wellness, as well as to help track and manage conditions of diseases. Mobile apps also are being used by many healthcare professionals to aid them in providing medical treatment and care to individual patients. Certain apps, for example, allow users to view radiological images or analyze electrocardiogram data on advanced mobile devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, to assist patients’ diagnoses.
While the new FDA draft guidance acknowledges that mobile medical apps can provide noteworthy health benefits, mobile apps also may present a number of health risks. In addition, the FDA guidance stresses that the same mobile medical app may pose a variety of differing risks depending on the particular mobile device as well as features including screen size, contrast ratio, and the environmental conditions in which the device is being used (e.g. the kind of lighting in the area).
Purpose of FDA’s Workshop
The FDA’s planned workshop is designed to provide a forum for public discussion on the FDA’s Mobile Medical Application draft guidance document. Specifically, the FDA wants to hear the public’s perspective on how mobile medical apps should be regulated to reasonably ensure their safety and efficacy, particularly mobile medical apps that are accessories to more complex medical devices. The FDA is hoping to host thoughtful discussions on the following key issues:
- What factors should be considered in determining the risk classification of different types of software that provide clinical decision support (“CDS”) functionality?
- How should the FDA assess stand-alone software that provides CDS functionality to guarantee its safety and efficacy?
- Are there specific controls that manufacturers need to implement which may change the risk classification or reduce the premarket data requirements for certain types of stand-alone software that provide CDS functionality?
Anyone who is interested in the topic can visit the FDA website for specific details on how to register for the workshop and/or submit public comments.
Dalcon Team Attends KIRK Commercial and Technical Partner Event 2011
Every year Kirk invites its partners to the company’s headquarters in Denmark to improve partner relationships and encourage the development of interoperability of solutions. Members of the Dalcon team will be in attendance this year.
Kirk is a manufacturer of DECT wireless handsets and solutions, including the 7020 and 7040 series made specifically for healthcare.
At the event Dalcon will be showing Dalcon Alert, Dalcon’s Patient Care Notification and Alarm Management system. Wireless phones are an important part of the Dalcon Alert solution, and though Dalcon Alert is device agnostic, Dalcon advocates the use of Kirk healthcare specific wireless handsets.
Dalcon Featured in Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare Magazine
Dalcon was featured in the March/April issue of Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare, a clinical leader magazine.
The featured topic of the March/April issue was Alarm Notification systems, which is a perfect fit for the Dalcon Alert Patient Care Notification System. The cover article discussed the strengths of alarm notification systems in increasing patient safety and the quality of patient care, as well as overcoming the challenges presented by alarm fatigue via alarm management.
Read more at Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare’s website:
PSQH: Alarm Management Showcase
Dalcon at AONE Conference 2011
Dalcon will be exhibiting at the 2011 American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) annual meeting and exposition April 13-16, in booth 1036. This will be the third year that Dalcon has exhibited its solutions at AONE, and the second year where the focus will be on Dalcon’s flagship product, Dalcon Alert.
Dalcon Alert is Dalcon’s Patient Care Notification and Alarm Management solution that allows clinicians to receive notifications on wireless phones. Notifications can be either patient care related, such as bed turn reminders for pressure ulcer prevention, or alarm related, such as a bed fall alarm notification for use with a fall prevention policy.
Attendees who visit the Dalcon booth (Booth 1036) can register with Dalcon to win 2 free round trip tickets to any Southwest Airlines destination.
For more information about Dalcon at AONE 2011, or Dalcon Alert, call 877-WE-UNIFY (938-6439) or click here to send us a message.
Dalcon at the 2011 TONE Annual Conference
Dalcon will be exhibiting the Dalcon Alert Patient Care Notification solution March 4th at the 2011 TONE annual conference in Dallas, Texas.
Dalcon Alert is Dalcon’s award winning notification solution that integrates with in-room medical devices, such as IV-pumps, ventilators, and beds. Dalcon Alert sends notifications to multiple endpoints including wireless phones when these in-room devices go into alarm status.
The 2011 annual conference, Charting the Future, provides learning, networking and collaboration opportunities for Texas nurse leaders. Educational topics are focused on current issues facing the healthcare industry.
For more information about Dalcon Alert call 877-WE-UNIFY (938-6439) or click here to send us a message.
Next Intelligence Health and Dalcon Communications Announce Partnership for Advanced Patient Care
WILMINGTON, Del. and NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 14, 2011 — Next Intelligence Corporation (NiQ), the leader in message-based nurse call systems, today announced a partnership with Dalcon Communication Systems, Inc. for integration, development, and distribution of their products.
The combined offering will include NiQ’s CarePlus™ message-based nurse call system, Dalcon’s VoIP-based voice talkback to patient rooms, and the Dalcon Alert™ solution that sends patient care notifications to wireless devices.
“Dalcon is a trusted provider of advanced communication technology and services for the healthcare industry nationwide,” said Chris Clabaugh, Vice President of Business Development, NiQ. “The combination of CarePlus advanced message and workflow nurse call systems with Dalcon’s world class services and communication technology should prove extremely attractive to acute care and aged care facilities of all sizes. We look forward to partnering with them to deliver our combined solutions.”
“Our goal as a company is to enhance patient safety and the quality of care at the moment it’s needed. We’re constantly looking for solutions that help us meet that important goal. In CarePlus we’ve discovered innovative technology that surpasses nursecall in the traditional sense, where the hardware is not just used as a box on the wall. Our integrated solutions will immediately empower clinicians to see a bigger, clearer picture of the patient care environment,” said John Menees, Director of Health Care at Dalcon.
About NiQ
NiQ is a US-based corporation with offices in the USA, UK and Australia. CarePlus has been successfully installed in more than 200 healthcare implementations and is actively recruiting distributors and reselling partners globally. VAR, SI and resellers desiring more information should browse to http://www.partners.niq-health.com.
About Dalcon Communication Systems, Inc.
Dalcon has developed software systems and solutions for over 30 years in the nation’s health care capital, Nashville, TN. Dalcon bridges the latest in communications technology and data functionality into one flexible and integrated system. Dalcon is focused on improving patient care and safety through the delivery of unified communications solutions to the healthcare industry. www.dalcon.com
Contacts:
Chris Clabaugh, Vice President Business Development, NIQ
info.usa@niq-health.com
650.762.5143
John Menees, Director, Health Care, Dalcon
john@dalcon.com
615.577.9017
