Digital health investment in numbers: $44 billion worldwide

DX in the medical and healthcare fields is accelerating due to the corona crisis. Coupled with changes in consumer awareness, there is demand for a wide range of products and services centered on online medical care and health management apps. We will analyze the future focus of healthcare DX based on market trends in Japan and overseas.

The corona crisis has accelerated DX in the medical and healthcare fields (image is an image)

The spread of the new coronavirus infection from 2020 onwards has caused various problems in Japan in the medical and healthcare fields, such as the occurrence and response of hospitalized refugees and home recuperation due to the shortage of hospital beds, and delays in vaccination-related work. highlighted the challenges. The importance of a system that enables people to receive examinations and treatments whenever they need them, as well as the rapid collection, analysis, and use of data, has been reaffirmed. Expanded.

Figure 1 Market size (estimate) of the healthcare industry (industry group for services not covered by public insurance)

Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

For example, in addition to the medical fee revision in 2020, the ban on online medical treatment has been lifted as a temporary measure under the corona crisis, and the number of medical institutions that have introduced it has expanded nationwide. The use of wearable devices and apps for health management and other purposes is also steadily expanding. In the "Survey on Healthcare Apps and Medical DX" conducted by MMD Research Institute in October 2021, about 40% of those who have used medical and healthcare apps answered that they started using the app during the new corona epidemic. are doing.