GSMA: the ADOPTION OF MHEAL COULD REDUCE TOTAL ANNUAL EUROPEAN HEALCARE SPEND BY ALMOST 00 BILLION IN 07

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mHealth Can Improve Lifestyles, Enable Remote Treatment of Chronic Conditions and Equip Healthcare Providers to Make Better Clinical Decisions

London: The GSMA today published research that demonstrates the significant socio-economic impact that mHealth adoption will have in Europe. Findings reveal that mHealth could save almost 100 billion in healthcare costs in the EU by 2017 as well as add 93 billion in GDP. The new GSMA report, developed in partnership with PwC, also indicated that, by using mHealth solutions to their full potential, by 2017 healthcare systems in the EU could:

Recognise huge cost savings

Lower the total annual per capita EU healthcare spend for patients benefitting from mHealth solutions by 18 percent, or 537

Reduce care costs for chronic conditions by 30 to 35 per cent through improved treatment compliance and remote patient monitoring

Improve lifestyles

Help 185 million patients lead healthier lives and gain a combined 158,000 extra years of life

Empower almost 23 million people that either have a chronic disease or are at risk of developing one to improve their condition through preventive measures and lifestyle improvements

Provide 9.4 million people at risk of developing chronic diseases with access to earlier diagnosis, and enable 11 million chronic patients and nine million elderly patients to benefit from remote treatment and monitoring

Enhance resource efficiency

Accommodate the treatment of an additional 24.5 million patients without requiring more doctors or new healthcare facilities

Address the shortage of doctors across the EU by saving a combined 42 million doctor working days in 2017, extending treatment to an additional 126 million patients

Help more than 18 million patients suffering from chronic diseases or at risk of developing them to stay healthier and improve their productivity, contributing a further 5,139 each ( 93 billion in total) to EU GDP

The growing prevalence of chronic diseases, the relatively high cost of healthcare and an ageing population means many countries in the EU are experiencing a healthcare resource crisis that mobile technology can help relieve, said Michael O'Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. Better access to healthcare services and the cost efficiencies driven by mHealth will help EU economies deliver sustainable and effective healthcare systems. However, much more needs to be done by regulators and governments within the EU to incentivise, encourage and drive the adoption of mHealth for the benefit of all the region's citizens.

Overcoming barriers to adoption

Unless the multiple barriers - regulatory, economic, structural and technological - that prevent mHealth from being adopted commercially and achieving scale are removed, the adoption of mHealth could be limited to about 10 per cent of its potential in 2017. This will restrict the realisation of benefits to five per cent of their potential. The impact means:

Healthcare savings across the EU would be limited to 6.6 billion, instead of the almost 100 billion predicted in 2017

Only 6.5 billion will be added to EU GDP by 2017, compared to the potential 93 billion

Only 11.2 million patients of the potential 185 million would benefit from mHealth

The key to harnessing the potential of mHealth lies with governments, regulators and payers, such as insurers, creating the right environment for growth and paving the way for its adoption. Key actions that could help drive this adoption include:

Integration of mHealth within the nationwide healthcare strategies of EU countries to align the development of mHealth services with country-specific healthcare priorities

Creation of policies and frameworks that encourage deployment of innovative mHealth solutions and provide clarity on certification and routes to market, while ensuring trust, quality and end-user safety.

Creation of innovative and sustainable incentives that encourage both healthcare providers and patients to adopt mHealth solutions

Raising awareness and providing education on mHealth for healthcare professionals, patients and consumers.

To effectively implement these recommendations, the GSMA is calling on all key stakeholders to act urgently to help ensure that the potential benefits of mHealth can be realised to meet the current and future healthcare challenges in EU countries.

To view the report and for more information on the GSMA's mHealth programme, please visit: www.gsma.com/connectedliving/socio-economic-impact-of-mhealth.

LINK:	http://www.gsma.com/newsroom/gsma-the-adoption...
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