The largest category of medical app sale downloads — a market estimated to be worth $489 million in 2015 — is health monitoring apps, specifically those with telemedicine or telehealth components.
The mHealth Market Worldwide report, published by Kalorama, found apps such as Doctor on Demand, Geppetto Avatars, ControlStation and Genesis Touch System, are popular due to their ability to put patients in touch with in-network physicians or their existing physicians.
Interest in telehealth has grown significantly in the last decade, exemplified by the nearly 500 clinical trials either recently completed or underway listed by the National Institutes of Health related to the technology. Due to the video capabilities of smartphones and tablets, vendors are increasingly developing mobile health systems that incorporate telehealth and telemedicine for the smartphone platform.