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Apple, J&J Launch New mHealth Study Targeting Wearables and AFib

By Eric Wicklund

• Apple is partnering with Johnson & Johnson on a new mHealth study to determine whether the Apple Watch and an accompanying app can help reduce the risk of stroke in older Americans.
• The Heartline Study is open to the more than 40 million seniors enrolled in Medicare
• Goal is to determine whether the ECG sensor and app on the Apple Watch can accurately detect the presence of atrial fibrillation, a key indicator of stroke susceptibility.

The Heartline Study is open to the more than 40 million seniors enrolled in Medicare. Its goal is to determine whether the ECG sensor and app on the Apple Watch can accurately detect the presence of atrial fibrillation, a key indicator of stroke susceptibility.

“Right now, we rely on symptoms – such as quivering, fluttering or irregular heart rhythm – to detect AFib,” Michael Gibson, MD, CEO of the Baim Institute for Clinical Research, founder of the Perfuse Study Group at Harvard Medical School and a co-leader on the study, said in a story on the J&J website. “But the hope is that a wearable device could detect an irregular heart rhythm earlier, since people may not be able to recognize symptoms without assistance. It could act like a warning light that allows a mechanic to detect whether something’s wrong before the car actually breaks down.”

Gibson will head the study alongside John Spertus, MD, the Daniel J. Lauer/Missouri Endowed Chair in Metabolic and Vascular Disease Research at the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

This study follows on the heels of the Apple Heart Study, to date the largest analysis of mHealth data from a wearable device. Launched in 2017 by the Stanford University School of Medicine, Apple and American Well, the study attracted almost 420,000 participants and laid the groundwork for the viability of ECG sensors for detecting AFib.

“The study’s findings will help patients and clinicians understand how devices like Apple Watch can play a role in identifying atrial fibrillation, a deadly and often undiagnosed disease,” Mintu Turakhia, MD, an associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford, said when the study’s results were released in 2019. “Additionally, these important findings lay the foundation for further research into the use of emerging wearable technologies in clinical practice and demonstrate the unique potential of large-scale app-based studies.”

But that study raised concerns because it wasn’t focused on one particular population, leading to worries that such digital health tools could cause more harm than good.

This time around, investigators are homing in on a population facing a significant risk of stroke.

“Each year more than 795,000 people have a stroke in the US, and some studies have shown that many people would rather die than live with the aftereffects of a disabling stroke,” Gibson said. “Secondly, we have an aging population, so there are more and more older patients around the world. These are exactly the patients who are at the highest risk of atrial fibrillation, which is associated with a significant increase in the risk of stroke. But the good news is that these strokes may be preventable.”

‘By having the study focus on the highest risk patients, my hope is that we can potentially help participants improve their heart health,” he added.

Participants in the study will use an Apple Watch and Heartline Study app, which alerts the user when the smartwatch detects an irregular heart rhythm and advises him or her to seek advice from a healthcare provider. The app, which also provides information and resources to the user, can be triggered to personalize that information if a care provider confirms an AFib diagnosis or if the user isn’t engaged with the program.

“The decision to take action is the responsibility of the participant, but the Heartline Study app will provide additional prompting and educational materials to help people make informed decisions,” Gibson said.

“I’m excited about this part of the study because, as physicians, we need to get a better handle on how often that lack of action happens,” he added. “While it’s clear that patients often don’t take the medicines they’re prescribed – and, in fact, often don’t even pick them up from the pharmacy – this study could provide more solid data and help us learn more about how often patients don’t respond to warnings about abnormalities in their health.”

In time, he said, researchers hope to understand more about why people might not take part in this type of study and develop patient engagement techniques that promote participation and reduce barriers to care.

Source: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/apple-jj-launch-new-mhealth-study-targeting-wearables-and-afib

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

mHealth Market growing due to increasing chronic disease menace according to a new research report

• The mHealth market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 33.5% during the forecast period.

WhaTech Channel: Medical and Health

The increasing usage of smartphones and connected devices and surging geriatric population, prevalence of chronic diseases, focus on patient-centric healthcare services, and demand for remote patient monitoring services are driving the adoption of mobile health (mHealth). The mHealth market size generated $23.0 billion in revenue in 2017, which is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 33.5% during the forecast period (2018–2023), to ultimately reach $132.2 billion by 2023.

The term refers to the provision of healthcare services via mobile phones and other telecommunication devices.

Blood glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, multiparameter monitors, electrocardiograph (ECG) monitors, sleep apnea monitors, and pulse oximeters are among the various connected devices available. Among these, blood glucose monitors are expected to experience the fastest growth in the market, at a CAGR of 31.9%, during the forecast period.

This would be due to the growing prevalence of diabetes, as a result of the changing lifestyle and food habits of people across the world.Blood glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, multiparameter monitors, electrocardiograph (ECG) monitors, sleep apnea monitors, and pulse oximeters are among the various connected devices available. Among these, blood glucose monitors are expected to experience the fastest growth in the market, at a CAGR of 31.9%, during the forecast period.

This would be due to the growing prevalence of diabetes, as a result of the changing lifestyle and food habits of people across the world.

The rising incidence of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is one of the key mHealth market growth drivers. Patients suffering from such conditions need continuous monitoring and strict adherence to medication schedule.

With mHealth devices and apps, patients can not only monitor their own condition, but also receive timely advice from their doctors, without having to go anywhere. In addition, several mHealth apps alert patients about any anomalies and drug dose time.

The availability of 3G and 4G internet is also leading to the rising adoption of smartphones, which, together with the increasing awareness on the advantages of mHealth, is driving the market. Additionally, mobile devices are increasing penetrating across developing regions; as per the 2017 African Mobile Trends Paper, 960 million people or around 80% of the African population were mobile phone subscribers.

Further, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had claimed that around half of the total 3.4 billion smartphone and tablet users would download healthcare apps in 2018.

Therefore, as more people purchase mobile communication devices and realize their advantages in the area of health and wellbeing, the market for mHealth will keep prospering.

Source: https://www.whatech.com/market-research/medical/635295-mhealth-market-growing-due-to-increasing-chronic-disease-menace-according-to-a-new-research-report

SPONSOR: CardioComm Solutions (EKG: TSX-V) – The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine. Patented systems enable medical professionals, patients, and other healthcare professionals, clinics, hospitals and call centres to access and manage patient information in a secure and reliable environment.

Medical Sensors Market Size to Reach US$ 27.7 Bn by 2026

• Global medical sensors market is projected to reach US$ 27.7 Bn by 2026 at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2018 to 2026.

Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, “Medical Sensors Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2018–2026”. According to the report, the global medical sensors market is projected to reach US$ 27.7 Bn by 2026 at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2018 to 2026.

Factors such as increase in government initiatives for the adoption of mHealth products and rise in adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and other medical advancements are propelling the global market. Moreover, increase in public and private investments in mHealth products and rise in adoption of smartphones and other electronics with sensor technology boost the growth of the global medical sensors market. The Americas is projected to dominate the global medical sensors market owing to availability of advanced health care infrastructure and high consumption of medical devices.

Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) are potential markets. The medical sensors market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.4% during the forecast period. Increase in focus on development of medical sensors in the past few years, improvement in health care infrastructure, and early detection of diseases fuel the growth of the medical sensors market in Asia Pacific and EMEA.

Rise in Government Initiatives for Adoption of mHealth Products and Increase in Public and Private Investments in Medical Sensor Companies to Drive Market

Increase in government initiatives for adoption of mHealth products drives the global market. The U.K. Government Department of Health started the NHS digitization initiative in 2016 and allocated over US$ 6.0 Bn for it. More than US$ 2.6 Bn was allotted to transfer paper records to a centralized electronic record system, implementation of wireless technologies, and addressing cyber security concerns in NHS IT ecosystem. New innovations in the health care industry in terms of medicine are fast and productive. IoT has emerged as the next wave in the industry. Google and Novartis launched their combined plan in 2014 to create a connected lens with the ability to monitor blood glucose levels by analyzing an individual’s tears.

Implantable Sensors to be Highly Lucrative Segment

Implantable sensors is an emerging segment of medical sensors. The segment is projected to account for 28.5% share of the market by 2026. It is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 12.0% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026. Advancements in sensor technology and rise in demand for continuous monitoring systems such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) are anticipated to boost the growth of the segment during the forecast period.

Home Care Settings to be Promising Segment

In terms of end-user, the global medical sensors market has been segmented into hospitals, clinics, home care settings, and others. The hospitals segment held the major share of the global market in 2017. The segment is projected to expand at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2018 to 2026. The home care settings segment is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period. The segment is expected to gain market share by 2026. Rise in use of wearable health tracker for the measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolites such as glucose and lactate are the factors likely to boost the use of medical sensors in the home care settings segment.

Americas Projected to Dominate Global Market

The global medical sensors market has been divided into three major regions: the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific. The Americas dominated the global market in 2017. The market in the region was valued at US$ 6.27 Bn in 2017.

This is attributed to the availability of advanced health care infrastructure and high consumption of medical devices in the region. The medical sensors market in the Americas is projected to expand at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period. Biosensors and wearable sensors are the two most promising segments in the region. The medical sensors market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.4% during the forecast period.

The region is likely to gain market share due to rise in prevalence of chronic disorders and surge in awareness about medical sensors among the people. Rise in disposable income of people also contributes to the growth of the market in Asia Pacific and EMEA. Increase in focus on development of medical sensors in the past few years, improvement in health care infrastructure, and early detection of diseases fuel the growth of the medical sensors market in APAC and EMEA. Read More http://techannouncer.com/medical-sensors-market-size-to-reach-us-27-7-bn-by-2026/