A lire sur: http://www.atelier.net/en/trends/articles/health-20-medical-apps-promising-business-environment-investors-require-caution_426236
By Quentin Capelle December 12, 2013
By Quentin Capelle December 12, 2013
The emergence of the digital tools sector in the medical industry has generated large amounts of
investment, but this enthusiasm should be measured against the background of actual market trends.
There are now close to 97,000
medical apps on the market, not including the many platforms and
connected objects which either already exist or are due to be launched
soon. All this means that since 2006 some $7 million has been invested
in the digital health sector – an impressive figure which covers a wide
range of startup companies and products. Nevertheless, this investment
figure is not at all reflected in the actual penetration of these
devices into medical institutions, which remains extremely low. So how
can investors be sure of a return on their investment in the sector
today? This was the question addressed by a number of sector experts and
investors at a lunchtime workshop held during the Health 2.0 event which took place in London in mid-November.
A unique opportunity…
During the workshop, on the theme of ‘Investing in Digital Health – Why and How?’, Vishal Gulati, Managing Director of Radiant Capital,
an independent private equity advisor to dedicated international
cross-border funds, underlined: “Digitisation of healthcare is evolving
very fast, but as for knowing whether the impact will have expected
results, the dynamic is of epic proportions, but it’s the timing we
can’t be sure about.” Janke Dittmer, a Partner at Dutch company Glide Healthcare Partners,
provided more detail: “We find ourselves in a particularly promising
situation due to four major factors. On the one hand the reform of
healthcare services in the United States is forcing profound changes in
the business models. In addition, our aging population means a rise in
costs linked to chronic illness. On top of these changes in the
structure of the sector come the added advantages arising from the
current economic climate: "[...] the digital revolution is today
acknowledged by everyone and moreover we’re right in the golden age of
entrepreneurship,” he told the audience. Of course it is not only the US
that has felt the need to make fundamental reforms in the way their
medical institutions work; European countries also recognise the need,
faced with the rising costs of social security, France being a prime
example.
...Timing rather tight, though
So the pressure to reduce costs and increase productivity
is certainly there. However the medical sector is characterised by some
very special features. In contrast with other technology sectors, the
medical industry takes a long time to implement innovative ideas, even
more so when it comes to medical devices and patient data. Basically the
lack of clear regulation is holding back adoption of the innovations.
Vishal Gulati is therefore thinking medium term: “The business models
will change slowly, so it could be risky to count on an explosion in the
sector in less than ten years.” What is happening in digital health is
similar to the boom in environmental technologies – i.e. their mere
existence does not mean they will immediately be adopted in practice.
Janke Dittmer is well aware of this, pointing out that: “The problem
remains that these technologies are being created by young engineers who
see a possible application in the healthcare field. I think that for a
real return on investment, demand needs to precede supply, and there
must be a greater focus on real consumer needs.” This is a particularly
valid argument in the medical field, where integration of new procedures
demands clear proof of their usefulness and where existing apps and
products still suffer from a ‘gadget’ image, precisely due to their
business models.
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