A recent report from, Cambridge-based analysts, Wireless Healthcare, when healthcare providers are looking for technology that will reduce the cost of care, wireless is often the networking platform of choice.
The report, Wireless Healthcare 2008, also identifies a number of consumer electronics companies that are seeking a safe harbour in the healthcare market as the recession impacts on their traditional markets. Wireless Healthcare also warns that as a significant number of medical devices are purchased privately the healthcare market could also be adversely affected by the economic downturn.
In Wireless Healthcare’s last major study of the healthcare IT sector the lack of back office infrastructure, particularly electronic patient records (EPR), was highlighted as an inhibiter within the wireless medical device market. The latest report notes that some healthcare providers in the US and Europe have started to roll out EPR but sees incumbent providers facing increased competition from next generation healthcare providers who are deploying Health 2.0 based services.
There is a significant amount of hype regarding Health 2.0 a key component of this new healthcare concept, hosted patient records, will become increasingly important in driving demand for wireless ehealth services, said Kruger.
Report explains that while hosted patient records are a controversial issue within the healthcare sector they do provide the medical device developer with an alternative entry point into the healthcare market.