The mhealth market in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region was worth $7.9 billion during 2012, spurred on by government investment, according to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.

And of the $44.6 million generated by real-time telemedicine in APAC during 2012, the analyst firm finds that mhealth was the biggest revenue contributor

Sales from remote patient monitoring equipment, says Frost & Sullivan, reached $773.5 million in the same year.

“Governments across APAC are and will continue to be the major architects of the telehealth industry in this region,” said Natasha Gulati, a Frost & Sullivan healthcare Industry.

Government initiatives range from pilot projects and grants, to passing legislation that either promotes or commits to build telehealth infrastructure.

The APAC telehealth industry is different from US and Europe, emphasises Frost & Suillivan, since the focus lies on providing equitable care to a large population rather than on business profitability and technological advancement. Under these circumstances, private companies struggle with developing sustainable business models that ensure long-term profitability.

As such, private ICT companies, software vendors, and device manufacturers see their largest opportunity in the telemedicine space is to partner with government organisations.