FRAMINGHAM, MA – IDC Health Insights announced Tuesday the launch of a new research advisory service that examines the evolving connected health market. Officials said the service aims at helping organizations develop strategies to monetize telemedicine services.

The Connected Health IT Strategies research service will provide in-depth coverage of connected health services including videoconferencing, virtual or online care on demand, remote patient monitoring, mobile health, clinical mobility, aging in place, and telediagnostics and the enabling technologies such as health information exchange and electronic health records. The service is designed to provide information about this new market to, payers, providers, technology vendors, and cable/telephone/wireless companies, this service will provide unique market insight to help leading organizations develop strategies to monetize telemedicine services.

"Connected health is an evolving market," said Lynne Dunbrack, program director, Connected Health IT, IDC Health Insights. "Rapid advancements in information and telecommunications technologies are making connected health technology more accessible to a broad number of healthcare organizations and consumers in terms of cost, ease of use, and distribution. Meanwhile, healthcare reform, an aging population, and an increased focus on managing chronic conditions also contributes to the push for connected health technologies."

According to IDC Health Insights, over the next four years the healthcare industry will make significant investments in key enablers to telemedicine, including EMR and HIE technologies. If effectively deployed, connected health services will enable the transformation of healthcare delivery from traditional office-based and hospital settings to the consumer's home or anywhere via the consumer's device.

Throughout the year, the Connected Health IT Strategies program will address the following topics:

• Telemedicine, videoconferencing, remote patient monitoring, e-visits, and online care
• Vendor market evolution and vendor product assessment and comparisons
• Mobile health technology
• Clinical mobility (MPOC)
• Aging in place
• Health information exchange (HIE) including enterprise, regional, and statewide health information organizations and nationwide health information network (NHIN) and other federal initiatives to promote HIE
• The medical home and accountable care organizations
• Physician and patient portals
• Personal health records
• Unified communications
• Health 2.0 strategies
• Business and IT implications of ARRA and healthcare reform on connected health

"The Connected Health IT Strategies research advisory service will address key issues critical to success in this burgeoning market," said Dunbrack. "The service will identify the key players in the connected health market and examine the requirements and challenges of entering the market. We also will take a look at the size of the connected health opportunity, competitors to date, and what it will take to turn this into a successful market opportunity for technology solutions."