$6 billion + $12 billion = Big changes in healthcare delivery

Information Week reported that the telehealth market will hit $6.28 billion by 2020. In addition, presentations at a recent investor conference projected that the point-of-care molecular diagnostics market would reach $12 billion in revenue by 2017, which is fueled by cost-effective and rapid access to complex gene signature tests. The combination of these two technological juggernauts will fundamentally change most relationships in healthcare as we know them.

Providers will have access to more objective data for patient care, but the level of service required to get that data will also be far less than is required today. Patients and physician extenders will become primary testing points, and objective data will supplant subjective data at many levels. Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and CVS may become the dominant primary care points of access. Physician shortages may be reduced and larger numbers of people could have access to care from the best-of-the-best clinicians.

Clay Wilemon is the CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at DevicePharm, a marketing strategy and integrated marketing communications firm based in Irvine, CA. You can email Clay at clayw@DevicePharm.com.