In 2011, devices including smart phones and tablet computers are expected to help to drive consumer-driven health care, as people can monitor their health and prevent illnesses, according to a new Ovum report.

"Against a backdrop of increasing life expectancy, consumers are taking more responsibility for safeguarding their long-term quality of life and ensuring they continue to be healthy well into the future," says Cornelia Wels-Maug, Ovum senior analyst and author of the report.

"The latest technology can play a key role and aid this shift towards the consumerisation of health care. For example, smart phone applications can advise on ways to lead a healthy lifestyle, helping consumers to avoid illness in the first place. We expect consumers to turn to their smart phone or tablet computer for health care advice and preventative care more and more."

Both the report and smartphone and tablet computer apps find dedicated health and fitness devices are entering the market. Best Buy, for example, will start offering wireless-enabled health and fitness devices in more than half of its 1,089 nationwide stores.

"The devices have the ability to transfer health information from the individual to websites such as Microsoft's HealthVault," Wels-Maug says. "The data can then be shared with medical professionals so that they can monitor conditions and be alerted to any issues.

"Other retailers are sure to follow this example and we expect a stronger uptake of medical devices aimed at the consumer during 2011. We expect uptake to the stronger in the US, where retailers are ahead of their European counterparts in exploring this opportunity."

Instant Insights /

Technology drives consumer-driven health care in 2011

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