Asia fastest growing geography for healthcare information systems by 2019

Persistence Market Research says Asia will see the highest growth in the global market on healthcare information systems by 2019. The analyst firm valued the market at US$35.2 billion in 2013 and expects it to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2013 to 2019 to reach an estimated value of US$53.2 billion in 2019.

An ageing population and rising healthcare costs are increasing the demand for healthcare information systems, the company noted, listing government initiatives, the need for integrated healthcare systems and added investment from healthcare IT players as some of the driving factors. A lack of experienced professionals, high maintenance and service expenses and interoperability issues are providing challenges, however. 

Persistence Market Research notes that the market is shifting to more automation, with wireless and cloud technology, patient-centric healthcare information systems and use of mobile devices as some of the technology trends taking hold. 

North America dominates the global healthcare information system market followed by Europe at no. 2, but Asia is expected to experience high growth due to the increased demand for healthcare information systems in emerging markets such as China and India. Both countries are seeing an ageing population and increased incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, the company said.