Freshly published data and corresponding projections from MarketsandMarkets indicates that the global healthcare IT market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% to reach $56.7 billion by 2017 from $40.4 billion in 2012.

Factors ranging from a spike in incidents of chronic disorders, to the pressure to reduce healthcare costs are responsible for driving this anticipated growth, the report indicates.

North America (U.S. and Canada) commanded the highest share of the healthcare information technology market due to firm government support in terms of investment and incentives, growing demand of integrated healthcare IT system to achieve high return on investment, enhanced patient consumerism for quality care and safety, and rise in aging population.

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Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, California has deployed a groundbreaking wearable device capable of wirelessly monitoring the vital signs of patients.

According to U-T San Diego, a company called Sotera Wireless is behind the ViSi Mobile system, which provides uninterrupted remote monitoring to ensure that any potential medical problems are observed immediately.

Patients wear a wrist-attached device linked to sensors. ViSi Mobile constantly measures the core vital signs: pulse, respiration, skin temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen level and heart rhythm. Right now, Palomar Medical Center is measuring the first five of those vital signs, said Dr. Benjamin Kanter, Palomar Health’s chief medical information officer.

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Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems and GreatCall confirmed their new partnership to develop mobile healthcare apps.

The strategic alliance is intended to bring a suite of next-generation solutions to their respective clients. All told, an entire new line of mobile telehealth and m-health solutions will emerge.

“The partnership combines Bosch’s evidence-based telehealth solutions, which provide patients with valuable disease/condition knowledge and reinforcement to improve their self-management skills, with GreatCall’s expertise in developing wireless health are safety solutions for older consumers and their families,” the companies said in a joint statement Wednesday.

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Enterasys Networks – a global provider of wired and wireless network infrastructure and security solutions – announced Wednesday that the company will discuss mHealth and other key industry trends in security and healthcare next month at HIMSS 2013.

This year’s Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference & Exhibition takes place in New Orleans, beginning March 3rd.

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare.

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As surprising as the fact may seem, the healthcare industry is moving like molasses to adopt cloud technology, despite the rapid pace at which other industries are doing so.

CDW’s 2013 State of the Cloud Report surveyed IT professionals to explore what factors drive the shift to the cloud, what types of applications organizations are taking to the cloud and what benefits (beyond cost savings) they are achieving.

According to findings presented, only 35 percent of health IT professionals surveyed revealed that their organization is presently using cloud computing.

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On Friday, confirmation came that HealthBeat - a new conference highlighting the ways in which “technology is transforming healthcare” – is set to take place this spring.

The two-day conference commences May 20th at the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco, California.

This is the first event to have a singular focus on how information technology is driving out inefficiencies in healthcare, VentureBeat said of its creation.

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The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has issued a call for public comments surrounding the security, privacy and best practices of using mobile devices in healthcare.

More specifically, the ONC is seeking comments on three categories, including real-world uses of mobile devices by providers and other healthcare delivery professionals; real-world privacy and security practices, strategies and technology; and other general comments on the use of mobile devices by providers and other healthcare delivery professionals.

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