On factor contributing to the growth of digital tools in health care: U.S. regulators, notoriously slow to respond to change, are actually poised to become more nimble. (Image: Shutterstock)

Continuing innovation, both in the U.S. and abroad, coupled with consumer demand, is accelerating the global health care system's use of digital tools, a new report finds.

The new report, "The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Digital Health," was released recently by Business Insider Intelligence. It suggests that market forces, regulatory moves and technology are combining for explosive growth of digital health tools and platforms.

Innovations in emerging markets

The study notes that paradoxically, established markets such as the U.S. and Europe may not be as ripe for innovation compared to emerging markets such as China and India. "Digital health companies in many emerging markets have fewer incumbents to compete with and less legacy infrastructure to overcome compared with developed markets like the U.S.," the report said. "That means there are fewer barriers to establishing new products and services. It could also mean that governments will work to remove regulatory constraints to help the emerging industry grow faster."