New European data on connected mobile health devices shows that, although the market is still relatively small, sales have increased rapidly over the last 12 months.
In the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands the number of mobile-connected blood pressure monitors purchased last year rose by 42 per cent, according GfK.
The research firm found that France led the way with connected blood pressure monitors claiming a 17.4 per cent share of the blood pressure monitor market.
Meanwhile, sales of connected personal weighing scales rose by 88 per cent, with a 6.3 per cent value share in Germany and a respectable 12.1 per cent in the Netherlands.
Overall, however, GfK found that connected devices currently account for only a small part of the market at present – just 5.5 per cent of the total value of blood pressure monitors sold across the four countries in 2013 and 3.3 per cent of connected personal scales.
Udo Jansen, a global director at GfK, said: “With 2014 being the year of ‘mobile health’ as well as wearable technology devices, the popular media buzz around these topics is likely to have a positive effect on consumers’ awareness of the potential benefits on offer.”
