The healthcare industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by telemedicine, real-time diagnostics, smart hospitals and access to digital therapies, and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), robotics and data management practices. In the last three years alone, there have been over 106,000 patents filed and granted in the healthcare industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Cloud in Healthcare: Remote EMR applications. Buy the report here.

However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

200+ innovations will shape the healthcare industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the healthcare industry using innovation intensity models built on over 443,000 patents, there are 200+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, software as a medical device (SaMD), augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) medical imaging interfaces, and automated clinical documentation are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Medical image display devices, 3D modelling and rendering, and AI-assisted electronic health records (EHR) are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are wearable fitness monitors and medical device secure data transmission, which are now well established in the industry. 

Innovation S-curve for cloud in the healthcare industry

Remote EMR applications is a key innovation area in cloud

Remote electronic medical records (EMR) contain the patient's medical and treatment history in a digital version of the paper chart that includes test records, diagnoses, allergies, medicines, immunisations, and treatment plans. Remote electronic medical records have advantages over paper records because data can be tracked over time and location and quickly determine which patients require preventative screenings or checks.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 90+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established healthcare companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of remote EMR applications.

Key players in remote EMR applications – a disruptive innovation in the healthcare industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to remote EMR applications

Company Total patents (2010 - 2021) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Baxter International 300 Unlock company profile
DexCom 164 Unlock company profile
Johnson & Johnson 130 Unlock company profile
Samsung Group 94 Unlock company profile
Enlitic 93 Unlock company profile
FedEx 85 Unlock company profile
Koninklijke Philips 67 Unlock company profile
ARC Devices 64 Unlock company profile
International Business Machines 57 Unlock company profile
SoftBank Group 51 Unlock company profile
F. Hoffmann-La Roche 37 Unlock company profile
DEKA Research and Development 37 Unlock company profile
Siemens 35 Unlock company profile
Mortara Instrument 28 Unlock company profile
Fresenius & Co 26 Unlock company profile
Nant Holdings Ip 26 Unlock company profile
Qualcomm 26 Unlock company profile
Microsoft 25 Unlock company profile
Beta Bionics 24 Unlock company profile
Apple 23 Unlock company profile
Sony Group 23 Unlock company profile
AT&T 23 Unlock company profile
Oracle 21 Unlock company profile
Becton Dickinson and Co 21 Unlock company profile
Boston Scientific 20 Unlock company profile
Accenture 19 Unlock company profile
Toshiba 19 Unlock company profile
K4Connect 18 Unlock company profile
Medicom Technologies 17 Unlock company profile
Abbott Laboratories 17 Unlock company profile
ThoughtWire 17 Unlock company profile
Haemonetics 16 Unlock company profile
Shiseido 16 Unlock company profile
Imprivata 16 Unlock company profile
Medtronic 15 Unlock company profile
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare 14 Unlock company profile
American Well 13 Unlock company profile
Medicalgorithmics 13 Unlock company profile
Konica Minolta 13 Unlock company profile
Sonitus Medical 12 Unlock company profile
Intertrust Technologies 12 Unlock company profile
Healthy io 11 Unlock company profile
Canon 11 Unlock company profile
General Electric 11 Unlock company profile
dacadoo 10 Unlock company profile
Redox 10 Unlock company profile
Intel 10 Unlock company profile
RistCall 10 Unlock company profile
Toyota Motor 9 Unlock company profile
Illumina 9 Unlock company profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Baxter International is one of the leading patent filers in the field of Remote EMR application. Some other key patent filers in the field include DexCom, Johnson & Johnson, and Samsung Group.

In terms of application diversity, ARC Devices leads the pack, followed by Enlitic and Johnson & Johnson. By means of geographic reach, Sonitus Medical held the top position, with DEKA Research and Development and ThoughtWire in second and third spots. 

Remote electronic medical records (EMR) are easy to access and enable the doctor to keep an eye on the patient’s condition with greater precision, control, and flexibility across the locations that the physician works at. It also helps to reduce the number of hospitalisations and readmissions, and all of these improve life quality and contain costs.

To further understand how Cloud is disrupting the healthcare industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cloud Computing in Healthcare.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.