Is There a Need to Consumerise Mobile Healthcare To Bring It To The Mass Market?

In mature communications markets, mobile healthcare is clearly gaining traction. Operators, device manufacturers and systems integrators are suddenly taking notice of the opportunity inherent in the systemic under-serving of the ageing, chronically-ill and disease transmitting over 50's ;) Youthful cheek aside, ABI Research estimates that there will be 15 million medical devices by 2012 - innovating from legacy mobile units, through to radio pills and smart band aids/plasters. The Wi-fi enabled healthcare product market will be worth an estimated $US4.9 billion in 2014. But how will the mobile healthcare industry come together to realise this growth? The healthcare industry in certain regions has too often been beset with IT project nightmares and an-over centralised approach to innovation. Without standardisation, the embryonic industry has grown with ad-hoc healthcare-specific devices which lack sex appeal and consumer attraction. But now with the hundreds of i-phone healthcare, fitness and wellness apps on hand - is the consumer finally taking control and driving things in the right direction for a mature mass market? With cross-over brands like Nike, Apple and Nintendo muddling the public perception of 'mobile healthcare' is consumer what is really needed for enterprise innovation to really take off as well? Or will consumer dabbling in mobile healthcare and personal health records lead to manipulation of health data, diagnosis and cure? With the FDA looking at the status of healthcare apps on i-phones in particular, i'd be keen to gauge your thoughts....