Market Facts and Figures

Press Office

Market Facts and Figures

The Organization for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA) is the world’s leading digital health reviewer, and our analysts regularly monitor trends in app usage by health and care professionals and citizens. The facts below may be useful background, but if there’s something you want to know and it isn’t listed, just ask us.

  • There are around 374,000 health and fitness apps.
  • Every day, we see about 30 new app products enter the marketplace.
  • A survey of doctors and clinicians who owned a smartphone found that 79% would be willing to use their phone for clinical use (Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 2015).
  • 40% of all GP-patient contacts are now via online consultations, following the pandemic (Practice Business, February 2021).
  • 81% of healthcare professionals believe that health apps will increase their knowledge of patients’ conditions (Research Now, April 2015).
  • 93% of users of health apps think the apps help to improve their quality of life (Research Now).
  • 65% of healthcare professionals believe health apps will encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health (Research Now).
  • 60% of NHS regions now have an ORCHA Digital Health Library.
  • Every single app featured on one of our Digital Health Libraries has been reviewed against more than 350 tough criteria, covering numerous digital health standards and measures, including elements of the NICE standards framework.
  • We have seen an increase of 25% in downloads of digital health apps during the COVID-19 pandemic. This equates to around 5m downloads of apps every single day.
  • In quarter one of 2019, 488m health and fitness apps were downloaded. That rose to 593m by quarter one of 2020 (Statista).
  • Across our platforms, we have seen a 6,500% increase in healthcare professionals recommending apps to their patients during this same period, an 180% increase in sessions on our Digital Health Libraries by healthcare staff, plus a 182% increase in downloads.
  • Downloads of apps supporting consumers with mental health needs increased by nearly 200% from the summer of 2019 to the summer of 2020.
  • Downloads of those supporting consumers with diets and weight loss rose by a massive 1,294% during that same period.
  • Downloads of apps helping consumers manage diabetes rose by 482% during that period.
  • Significant returns on investment can be achieved when Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS Trusts acquire our Digital Health Libraries. By way of example, in a large CCG with 160 practices and a population of 1.3m, with 22k patients with COPD, 15k with anxiety, and 78k with diabetes, an investment of £100,000 into an ORCHA Digital Health Library would produce a return in investment of £17 for every £1 invested.
  • We are aware of several top-flight apps which are currently gathering evidence to demonstrate their efficacy with patients and levels of return on investment in health services. One of our high-scoring cancer support apps, Vinehealth, shares that 87% of patients report an improved quality of life through its platform; also, when patients simply track their symptoms and medications effectively, survival can increase by up to 20%.
  • 92% of patients who are prescribed an app will use that app, according to evidence gathered by Mount Sinai Hospital. In contrast, around £300m is wasted every year in the NHS on unused or partially used medicine (NHS Confederation, 2018).
  • The quality of apps, however, is an enduring issue. 80% of apps we review score under 65%, which is our baseline of acceptability, so are not even featured on our Digital Health Libraries.
  • This leaves only 20% of health apps deemed trustworthy: backed by high clinical standards, safe with patient data, and useable.

Spokespeople

Press Office

Spokespeople

Liz Ashall-Payne, Founding CEO

As an NHS speech and language therapist, Liz was frustrated she could only see one patient at a time, especially with such long waiting times. This led her on a mission to improve quality and efficiencies within NHS departments. With the advent of healthcare apps, Liz set up ORCHA, the world’s first health app rating system. Her objective: that professionals and citizens should have access to health apps they can trust.

Download Liz’s high resolution headshot

Liz Ashall-Payne photo

Simon Leigh, Health Economist

Simon can speak about how digital health may be used to supplement or transform existing care pathways, enabling improved access or reducing reliance on incumbent services. His background is in health economics, market access, social media analytics, medical writing & value demonstration, with application in the pharmaceutical, academic, digital, & regulatory sectors.

 

Tim Andrews, Co-Founder and COO

Tim is ORCHA’s spokesperson on regulation, security and accreditation in the world of digital health. Amongst many senior roles he has held, Tim is former Managing Director of the NHS Cheshire & Merseyside CSU, an 800 strong organisation, turning over £40m pa and providing a range of support services to health and social care commissioners across the region and the North of England.

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Tim Andrews photo

Media Team Contacts

Press Office

Media Team Contacts

How to contact us

Kate McCann

PR Lead

kate.mccann@orcha.co.uk

Phone: +447528 796400

 

Linsey Scott

Marketing and Communications Director

linsey.scott@orcha.co.uk

Phone: +447788 432323

 

Out of office hours

Text: +447528 796400

Supporting the digital patient: Latin America

Webinar

Supporting the digital patient: Latin America | Apoyando al paciente digital: América Latina

EN: This webinar will look at the current global digital health landscape, including key statistics for health apps and mobile healthcare. Our speakers will discuss the main barriers to using and adopting digital health tools, the uptake of digital health tools by health and care professionals, the effect of COVID-19 on digital health adoption, and key case studies.

We will examine regulations in the digital health space, and how assessment and accreditation processes can help to overcome some of the challenges faced.

When:

  • Monday 26th April 2021
  • 17:00 – 18:00 BST

Speakers:

  • Guido Entenberg, Physiotherapist, Digital Health, College Lecturer, Researcher – chair
  • Liz Ashall-Payne, CEO, ORCHA
  • Myrna Marti, International Consultant in Digital Transformation and Digital Health, PHO/BID/Cibersalud
  • Luis Santiago, CEO, PEGASI MED
  • Denise Levi, Project leader of information systems and digital health services, Government of the City of Buenos Aires

Learning objectives:

  • Analyze the current state of the global digital health app and accreditation landscape
  • Recognize the lack of digital health solutions that meet regulatory standards
  • Hear perspectives from colleagues leading the way for digital health in Latin America
  • Discuss steps that health and care providers and developers in Latin America need to take to truly support the digital patient

Register for free

 

ES: Este webinar analizará el panorama actual de la salud digital a nivel global, incluyendo estadísticas clave para las apps de salud y la asistencia sanitaria mediante dispositivos móviles. Nuestros oradores discutirán las principales barreras para el uso y adopción de herramientas de salud digital, la incorporación de herramientas de salud digital por parte de los profesionales de la salud y la atención, el efecto del COVID-19 en la adopción de la salud digital, y estudios de casos relevantes.

Examinaremos las normativas en el ámbito de la salud digital, y cómo los procesos de evaluación y certificación pueden ayudar a superar algunos de los retos que se presentan.

Speakers/Oradores:

  • Guido Entenberg, Consultor de Contenido Clínico para la versión en español de Wysa – Coordinador
  • Liz Ashall-Payne, CEO, ORCHA
  • Myrna Marti, Consultora Internacional en Transformación Digital y Salud Digital. PHO/BID/Cibersalud
  • Luis Santiago, CEO, PEGASI MED
  • Denise Levi, Líder de proyectos de sistemas de información y servicios digitales en salud, Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (GCBA)

Objetivos de Aprendizaje

  • Analizar el estado actual del panorama global de apps y certificaciones de salud digital
  • Analizar la falta de soluciones de salud digital que cumplan con las normativas regulatorias
  • Escuchar la perspectiva de colegas que lideran la iniciativa de la salud digital en América Latina
  • Discutir los pasos que proveedores y desarrolladores de salud y atención en América Latina deben tomar para apoyar realmente al paciente digital.

Registrate gratis