Denmark is the best country in Europe to start an mHealth business, according to a survey conducted by research2guidance in partnership with HIMSS Europe, a global non-profit organisation that promotes better health through information technology.
The term mHealth is an abbreviation for mobile health: the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices. It is most commonly used in reference to using mobile communication devices – mobile phones, tablet computers and PDAs – for health services and information.
The mHealth field has emerged as a sub-segment of eHealth, the use of information and communication technology (ICT).
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Some mHealth applications include the use of mobile devices in collecting community and clinical health data; the delivery of healthcare information to practitioners, researchers and patients; the real-time monitoring of patient vital signs; and directing care.
Way ahead in every way
Denmark is also leading the way in adopting eHealth; almost all doctors in Denmark use ICT at work. The electronic transfer of data as well as using eprescriptions is very common.
Denmark is the only country where exchanging a patient’s medical data electronically is ‘very common’, according to the survey. Some 91 percent of Danish doctors exchange data electronically. The average of other covered countries is only 34 percent. Finland and Germany are also leaders in the eHealth field.
Denmark is followed by Sweden, Finland, Spain and the Netherlands in mhealth market readiness. All of those countries have a digitalised society, are already used to using technology in healthcare and have a supportive regulatory framework.
