‘You’d be forgiven by thinking that by 2015 we’ll have given up on conventional medicine and the only reason we’ll be going to see our GP* is because GPs will replace the Apps Store as the primary source of these apps.’
Hype curve dead ahead, take it at 20 mph. Gingerly. That was my take after reading wireless maven Nick Hunn’s latest entry in his Creative Connectivity blog. While in his picture of doctors dispensing and designing apps rather than practicing, he may be taking the research2guidance [TA 17 Dec] and some other studies to the end of the logical road, what will be the evolution of health apps? Will their revenue model stay cheap (<$2) and cheerful, or be dependent on pharma companies (and others) to sponsor more complex apps? What about smartphone adoption which is still only 20% of the market? And three incompatible platforms? Is this yet another distraction from the larger eHealth issues? The article stops at a few lights and coffee shops past the curve, on the way to the doctor’s office. mHealth Apps need an injection of reality.
*In US, pretty much replaced by ‘primary care physician’ or ‘family practitioner’. Although Ed. Donna is not alone in her nostalgia for GP (General Practitioner).