Is Healthcare Ready for the Mobile Tsunami?

By LEVI SHAPIRO
Guest post by Mark Wächter aka “Mr. Mobile”. He is a Connected Health Advisor to Medica and Author of the 2015 book, MOBILE STRATEGY.
Mobile has eaten the world. It effects our daily lives and how companies are led. The super-computer in our pockets is now an essential Personal Contextual Assistant, creating a new species - the homo mobilis. The path between brands and consumers now has a detour – one that can provide instant gratification. Can brands outperform these Mobile Moments?
The Mobile Tsunami is here. Sensors, wearables, connected cars, flyables, insideables and the Internet of Things are bringing connectivity to the unconnected four billion. Every industry, every corporation, every institution, every government and city has to find their unique surfboard to ride the Mobile Tsunami. Some industries have already been swallowed by the Mobile Tsunami, including automotive, consumer goods and media. Other industries, like banking, insurance and health, can see the Tsunami approaching.
The health sector is poised for radical transformation. The future of Health will be built upon a mix of traditional healthcare and mHealth solutions developed by IT entrepreneurs. Cloud, Big Data, social and mobile are enabling Connected Health, dirsupting the traditional players in the industry value chain - not to mention the patient. 
These trends are prominently addressed at the world's largest medical tech exhibition- the MEDICA fair in Düsseldorf. Together with its Houston event in May, Medical World Americas, Medica is an official Partner of the mHealth Israel conference. The prize for the mHealth Israel Startup Contest will also be sponsored by Medica. One of the Finalists, Intensix, 6over6, MedAware, Recovr.io, Datos, Biop Medical, Taliaz Diagnostics, will receive an all expenses paid trip to the Houston conference in May, including business development meetings with a Who’s Who of the US health-tech scene.
Together with Tom Mitchell, from Messe Dusseldorf (parent company of Medica), the objective of our visit is to establish a global network of 'health mobilistas' with Tel Aviv, Houston and Düsseldorf as Centers of Excellence. We invite Israel’s best app developers to participate in the Medica Apps Contest in November in Düsseldorf. Israel was well represented last year. Five of the ten finalists were Israeli companies, including the winner, TalkItt, and RunnerUp, Mobile ODT.
Winners of 2015 Medica Apps Competition, Smoke Watchers, Talkitt and Mobile ODT
The Mobile Tsunami has reached the placid shores of Healthcare. Israel's tech eco-system can potentially play a key role in this transformation. Silicon Wadi…are you ready to ride the Mobile Tsunami?