COVID-19 revealed critical weaknesses in many health systems, but also accelerated adoption of important new technologies. A panel of experts from Siemens Healthineers discussed the lasting impacts these pandemic-driven adaptations were likely to have.

Many health systems were already moving toward decentralized care. The rapid rise of telehealth utilization showed the potential for this care paradigm to deliver care in a convenient and cost-effective way, while also providing a positive user experience. Healthcare apps will continue to grow in popularity – in 2017, there were already more than 325,000 healthcare apps on smartphones, a number that increases by 200 every day. The global market for Mobile Medical Apps is estimated at US$4.2 Billion in 2020, and projected to reach a revised size of US$20.7 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR
of 25.5%.