One quote sums up the rise of digital health trends in today’s market:
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change” – Charles Darwin
A study in early 2025 showed that the global digital health market is anticipated to reach USD 2.19 trillion by 2034, with a CAGR of 21.2%.
That is nearly a trillion dollars, and for an industry that has only picked up steam after the onset of COVID, that’s a huge number.
For the consumers, healthcare professionals, and business leaders, this number signifies one thing in particular: growth. Digital health is growing, and will continue to play a bigger role in healthcare in the coming years.
And what kickstarted this growth is the rise of telehealth trends.
The Rise of Telehealth Trends
COVID-19 really pushed telehealth, or telemedicine, to new heights as remote patient monitoring was very much a requirement back then. However, that shouldn’t explain its current popularity.
A McKinsey study showed that consumer preference for telehealth had grown by 78 times during COVID-19. However, even after the pandemic scare was reduced and normal operations resumed, the trend still persisted at levels multiple times that of pre-COVID.
However, not everyone is happy about the proliferation of telehealth. According to another McKinsey report, almost no physicians are ready to offer telehealth full time, only 11% were ready to invest one whole day a week, and 29% prefer to offer none at all.
But the writing is on the wall. Even if physicians do not want to accept it, the market will follow consumer preferences and industry leaders are ready to follow the trend.
This is what Lidia Fonseca, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Pfizer said in 2022: “In the next five to ten years, I expect patients to be using mobile devices and advanced wearable technologies to access personalized, convenient, and real-time digital health support. Pharma companies will need to work with other key players in the healthcare ecosystem to provide that experience.”
Almost 3 years later and she’s right on all counts.
The Market for Wearable Technology
The market for wearable technology in healthcare, which is now valued at USD 91.21 billion, is expected to grow to USD 324 billion by 2032.
As Michael Dell stated, “wearable devices are here to stay, and they’ll only get more sophisticated and effective as they evolve.”
But wearable technology is only a small part of the wider world of evolving healthcare. What digital health investors are really putting their money on is AI in healthcare.
Just as telehealth paved the way for digital health trends to pick up steam, it is AI in healthcare that is tying everything together.
From personalized healthcare to support for wearable technology in healthcare, it is AI that is making them what they are today.
One of the examples of this is mobile health. This usually takes the form of apps available on mobiles that offer personalized healthcare.
This personalized healthcare can only be made possible through combining data from wearable technology and patient inputs, something impossible without AI.
Just this bit of technology with minimal input from physicians and hospitals, is currently valued at USD 32.42 billion and anticipated to reach USD 75 billion by 2030.
As impressive as this statistic looks, it pales in comparison to the overall prediction of the impact of AI in healthcare.
AI in Healthcare
AI in healthcare, currently valued at USD 14.2 billion, is anticipated to grow as much as USD 164.16 billion by 2030.
But it’s not just the market predictions that give AI in healthcare such importance. It is the primary function it can play in interoperability and integration.
The mHealth apps are just a preview of what AI can do. Potentially, it can facilitate seamless sharing of data across different platforms and systems.
For example, AI in healthcare can perform EHR integration with a patient’s mHealth application, taking personalized healthcare to unseen levels.
With this integration, mHealth can update patient information in real-time from wearable technology into their EHR, thereby facilitating remote patient monitoring by providing access to this information to their physician.
Interoperability facilitated by AI in healthcare really is the future of digital health.
According to Dr. Karen DeSalvo, the Chief Health Officer at Google, “Interoperability is the backbone of digital health. It enables healthcare providers to have a complete view of a patient’s health history, leading to better-informed decisions and improved patient outcomes. We need to continue working towards a more connected and interoperable healthcare ecosystem.”
With the expected growth of AI in healthcare and the continued rise in consumer expectations regarding telehealth, it is no wonder that the future of digital health is looking bright.
For healthcare professionals, technology manufacturers, and investors, this can only mean one thing: adapt and grow.
Rashan is a seasoned technology journalist and visionary leader serving as the Editor-in-Chief of DevX.com, a leading online publication focused on software development, programming languages, and emerging technologies. With his deep expertise in the tech industry and her passion for empowering developers, Rashan has transformed DevX.com into a vibrant hub of knowledge and innovation. Reach out to Rashan at [email protected]
