Nearly 30% of U.S. Broadband Households Own and Use a Connected Health Device

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 4, 2014) -  New connected health research announced today at Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers reveals 27% of U.S. broadband households currently own and use at least one connected health device. The survey data, from a 2Q 2014 Parks Associates survey of more than 5,000 U.S. broadband households, also found 13% of U.S. broadband households are very likely to purchase a connected health device in the next 12 months.

"The most popular connected health devices are treadmills, exercise bikes, and ellipticals," said Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. "These devices come with built-in support for mobile health apps, which effectively merges the demands of mobile and healthcare consumers. Wearables are another developing area for digital health, and this market is getting increasingly competitive, with Apple scheduled to announce its iWatch next week to compete with big brands like Motorola, Samsung, and LG. To be successful in connected health, all form factors will need to leverage mobile connections in order to keep users engaged."

Previously released research from Parks Associates shows more than 32 million U.S. consumers will actively track their personal health and fitness online or via mobile by 2016. If Apple's iWatch incorporates breakthrough wellness and fitness tracking functions and supports innovative partnerships with health industry incumbents, the market adoption could be much higher in the next few years, Wang predicts.

"At the Connected Health Summit this week, industry leaders are sharing how social engagement, mobile technologies, apps, and health big data are reshaping consumer interests and behaviors," Wang said. "Emerging solution providers have innovative strategies and business models for integrating health monitoring and wellness tracking into their service platforms, all with a keen focus on the consumer."

Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers, September 4-5, 2014, in San Diego, features keynotes from Qualcomm Life, Optum, Humana Wellness, Walgreens, and Ascension Health. Sponsors include Association Sponsor CEA; Charter Sponsors ADT, Care Innovations, Lowe's, and Z-Wave; Registration Sponsor Independa; Special Event Sponsor Walgreens; Event Sponsor Masimo; and Break Sponsors Ayla Networks, Playtabase, and Wellness & Prevention, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company.

Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Health_Smt and #ConnectedHealth2014.

The following digital health research is available from Parks Associates:

• Wearable Computing: Fitness and Health in Style
• Digital Health Quarterly
• Digital Health Consumers: A Lifestyle and Technology Segmentation
• Virtual Care: Technologies & Business Models
• Independent Living At Home: Second Edition
• Networked Medical Devices: Innovations and Business Models
• Prescribing Apps: Engaging Health Consumers
• Online Communication Tools for Healthcare

Whitepapers:

• Connected Health Opportunities for Service Providers
• The Real Healthcare Changes On The Way

To schedule an interview with a speaker or analyst, or to request specific research, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com.

About Connected Health Summit
Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers analyzes the roles of connected health technologies and innovations in driving changes in consumer behaviors and business models. The event focuses on four areas of consumer health technologies in particular, which all require active consumer participation to be successful: remote health monitoring for accountable care, consumer-centric wellness and fitness solutions, independent living technologies and services, and innovative convenience care models.

The 2014 Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers will take place September 4-5 at the Omni Hotel in San Diego, CA. www.connectedhealthsummit.com. Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Health_Smt. Subscribe to Parks Associates' digital health newsletter at http://www.parksassociates.com/newsletters_subscribe.

About Parks Associates
Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions.

The company's expertise includes digital media and platforms, entertainment and gaming, home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, mobile applications and services, support services, consumer apps, advanced advertising, consumer electronics, energy management, and home control systems and security.

Each year, Parks Associates hosts industry webcasts, the CONNECTIONS™ Conference Series, and Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer. http://www.parksassociates.com