September 4, 2014

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Nearly 30% of U.S. Broadband Households Own and Use a Connected Health Device

Research Firm Parks Associates Announces New Digital Health Data at 2014 Connected Health Summit

New connected health research announced today at Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers reveals 27% of U.S. broadband households currently own and use at least one connected health device. The survey data, from a 2Q 2014 Parks Associates survey of more than 5,000 U.S. broadband households, also found 13% of U.S. broadband households are very likely to purchase a connected health device in the next 12 months.

“The most popular connected health devices are treadmills, exercise bikes, and ellipticals,” said Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. “These devices come with built-in support for mobile health apps, which effectively merges the demands of mobile and healthcare consumers. Wearables are another developing area for digital health, and this market is getting increasingly competitive, with Apple scheduled to announce its iWatch next week to compete with big brands like Motorola, Samsung, and LG. To be successful in connected health, all form factors will need to leverage mobile connections in order to keep users engaged."

Previously released research from Parks Associates shows more than 32 million U.S. consumers will actively track their personal health and fitness online or via mobile by 2016. If Apple’s iWatch incorporates breakthrough wellness and fitness tracking functions and supports innovative partnerships with health industry incumbents, the market adoption could be much higher in the next few years, Wang predicts.

“At the Connected Health Summit this week, industry leaders are sharing how social engagement, mobile technologies, apps, and health big data are reshaping consumer interests and behaviors,” Wang said. “Emerging solution providers have innovative strategies and business models for integrating health monitoring and wellness tracking into their service platforms, all with a keen focus on the consumer.”

Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers, September 4-5, 2014, in San Diego, features keynotes from Qualcomm Life, Optum, Humana Wellness, Walgreens, and Ascension Health. Sponsors include Association Sponsor CEA; Charter Sponsors ADT, Care Innovations, Lowe’s, and Z-Wave; Registration Sponsor Independa; Special Event Sponsor Walgreens; Event Sponsor Masimo; and Break Sponsors Ayla Networks, Playtabase, and Wellness & Prevention, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company.

Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Health_Smt and #ConnectedHealth2014.

The following digital health research is available from Parks Associates:

• Wearable Computing: Fitness and Health in Style
• Digital Health Quarterly
• Digital Health Consumers: A Lifestyle and Technology Segmentation
• Virtual Care: Technologies & Business Models
• Independent Living At Home: Second Edition
• Networked Medical Devices: Innovations and Business Models
• Prescribing Apps: Engaging Health Consumers
• Online Communication Tools for Healthcare

Whitepapers:

• Connected Health Opportunities for Service Providers
• The Real Healthcare Changes On The Way

To schedule an interview with a speaker or analyst, or to request specific research, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com.

About Connected Health Summit: Consumer Engagement and Innovation

Connected Health Summit, hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, is an executive conference focused on the impact of connected devices and IoT healthcare solutions on consumers at home. In its ninth year, Connected Health Summit brings senior industry leaders together from all aspects of the consumer experience ecosystems to provide insights on new business models, IoT technologies, consumer behaviors, and deployments relevant to consumer healthcare solutions.

The conference features Parks Associates quarterly consumer readdresses opportunities for new solutions in the care giving and senior markets and the wellness markets. This includes smart home platforms, on-demand services, voice assistants, and wearables, to empower consumers, caregivers, and providers and to meet the growing demand for services in independent living, chronic care management, remote access to care, and wellness and fitness solutions. www.connectedhealthsummit.com

Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Health_Smt.