Current efforts to reduce the societal impact of chronic ailments such as diabetes and heart disease are focused on several factors, including the identification of genetic and environmental risk factors, patient education, and improved patient compliance. The ability of patients to monitor their own blood analyte levels is deemed to be a critical tool in reducing the pathological effects of poorly controlled disease factors.

For conditions other than diabetes, the vast majority of monitoring is now performed in physician offices or similar healthcare settings. But this will change. The convergence of new measurement technologies, patient demographics and managed care cost initiatives is driving patient monitoring for a number of conditions from caregiver facilities and into homes. In the process, patient self-monitoring for cholesterol, INR and hypertension have the potential to transition into a significant market by the end of the decade.

The key enabler of this significant shift will be technological advances that will provide accurate readings in a format that consumers can understand, clearly indicating when a follow-up visit to a caregiver is needed. "Systems that allow patients to share readings with physicians electronically have already been introduced," explains George Perros, Greystone Associates Managing Director. "Ultimately, the success of this self-test market will rely on monitors that can provide accurate values for the various analytes that are associated with health risk, presenting them to the patient in the proper context."

These findings are contained in a new and comprehensive report: Patient Self-Monitoring: Markets and Opportunities. The report analyzes the products, technology and participants that are shaping this evolving market segment.