Docs poised to prescribe mobile health apps

Mobile health applications will be distributed predominantly through traditional healthcare channels by 2015 as opposed to app stores, according to a global survey by research2guidance.
App stores are the distribution channels of choice right now, but in the future it's expected that traditional healthcare distribution channels such as hospitals and specialized healthcare product vendors will become predominant, according to the survey. The smartphone app store model has been the key driver behind the initial success of mHealth applications over the past two years, researchers said.
In five years, survey participants anticipate that the traditional distribution channels such as hospitals (68 percent), doctors (65 percent) and traditional healthcare websites (56 percent) will become the main platforms on which to sell mHealth solutions.
The survey is part of research2guidance's "Mobile Health Market Report 2010-2015."