FierceMobileHealthcare

According to Parks Associates estimates, about two-thirds of the American population is either overweight or obese. Additionally, 26 million Americans suffer from type I or type II diabetes, almost 14 million have severe chronic respiratory problems such as COPD, and 68 million have been diagnosed with hypertension.

From the article "Wearables, Connectivity Help Consumers Understand And Monitor Health" by Harry Wang. 

Increased use of high-speed Internet may be one reason for that jump, but the top driver, according to Harry Wang, director of mobile and health products research at Parks Associates, is that the devices are becoming more personal and more customized.

Wang tells FierceMobileHealthcare that device makers have found that more sophisticated features and functionality drive consumer interest and use. That's critical, as the devices must be used consistently in order to be effect ...read more

Consumers are embracing digital health and wellness devices, according to a new survey from Parks Associates. Adoption is steadily increasing within U.S. broadband households, the survey found, jumping from 26 percent in 2014 to 33 percent this year.

Fitness band maker Fitbit holds more than 50 percent market share and will likely continue to gain deeper customer roots due to the acquisition of FitSar earlier this year, the survey found.

The data shows that, when it come ...read more

The ethical issues around mHealth are one reason consumers are wary of health devices, and many deal closely with the privacy of what is a person's most private information. A recent Parks Associates report found that about 35 percent of consumers say they fear their health data will not remain confidential if put online, and 23 percent of broadband household owners cite privacy and security concerns in using connected health devices.

The JMIR viewpoint's authors add that th ...read more

Data and user privacy remain top reasons consumers are wary of wearable devices. For instance, a recent Parks Associates report notes that about 35 percent of consumers who responded to a survey say they fear their health data will not remain confidential if put online; additionally, 23 percent of broadband household owners who responded to the Parks Associates survey cite privacy and security concerns in using connected health devices.

However, Kaul dismisses security as a ...read more

While use of health devices and wearables continues to rise, consumers remain wary about the security of their personal health data when using the tools.

About 35 percent of consumers say they fear their health data will not remain confidential if put online, and 23 percent of broadband household owners cite privacy and security concerns in using connected health devices, according to a new Parks Associates report.

Consumer wariness regarding connected technology could s ...read more

The smart home is moving from being a dream for the future to a reality today--and healthcare will play a vital role in that new frontier, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act, according to a new report from Parks Associates.

A "smart healthcare room" is one of many potential scenarios for the blend of the smart home and mobile healthcare, said Harry Wang, Parks Associates' director of mobile and health products research.

"[T]he ...read more

Overall the fitness wearables market is expected to skyrocket over the next several years. A recent Parks Associates study predicts global revenue of connected fitness trackers will rise from last year's more than $2 billion to $5.4 billion by 2019.

However, Fitbit acknowledges that despite potential growth, there are substantial challenges ahead for the fitness device market, including increasing competition from players such as Apple, which just began selling its first-eve ...read more