The Fastest Growing App Market? Healthcare

By Megan Williams, contributing writer

If your clients are reluctant to try out mHealth apps, a bit of social proof from Kalorama might change their minds.

According to a study, the mHealth App industry has grown faster than other apps — from $85 million in 2010 to $489 million in 2015. While that number is still small, Kalorama explains that the growth rate alone is what is noteworthy. Overall, app growth progressed at 38.1 percent compounded annually over the same five-year period while medical apps grew at a rate of 41.9 percent.

Who’s Leading?

Not unexpectedly, Apple’s iOS platform is ruling the day with 55 percent of the dollars in the medical app market sales for 2015 — no doubt related to its release of its HealthKit API and recent premier of the still sought-after Apple Watch. According to a press release, sales for medical apps for all Apple devices (smartphones, tablets, and similar equipment) were estimated to be $268.8 million for 2015.

Still, Android and the Windows platform have been upping the competition in recent years and stripping away the tech giant’s market share.

Clinicians Driving Growth

The report also indicates that healthcare workers are a big driver of the numbers. Only 25 percent of U.S. practicing physicians used a PDA or smartphone for professional reasons prior to 2008. That year, the number jumped to between 35 and 40 percent, moved to 50 percent in 2010, and is now at over 70 percent.

These users are not only driven by professional goals, but also spend more (an average of $9 per app purchase) according to the report. One of the most common app uses is accessing patient records. All segments of the medical professional world use apps though, which allow them to stay connected to a fast-changing and increasingly tech-driven industry. Medical apps can be used for numerous processes including:

• health management
• data management
• education
• workflow processes

The full report is available here for a fee.