The Digital Health Care Revolution Picks Up Speed

The phenomenon goes by several names – digital health, wireless health, connected health, mobile health, etc. – but they all refer to the burgeoning revolution that has the health care industry mesmerized. Investors have already started showing their level of adoration for the sector with billions in funding dollars, which, ironically, are pouring in as the investment community maintains a somewhat cautious approach to more traditional segments of the industry. The excitement for digital health goes beyond simply wanting to be part of the “next big thing,” though the investor adrenaline-rush factor certainly plays a role in the market’s high numbers. However, in the bigger picture, the interest is connected more to the changing nature of health care as a result of a convergence of come-of-age technology, aggressive cost-cutting measures, and the shifting of responsibility for patient health.

The dollar figures back up investor enthusiasm for the market, and 2014 was a recording-breaking year with more than $4.1 billion in funding going to 258 companies in the digital health care space, according to the Rock Health Funding Database, which provides one of the most accurate views of money coming into this market. In its year-end report for 2014, Rock Health found that the level of funding for the year represented 125% year over year growth from 2013, and the $4