A new study shows that millennials are going to be the real catalyst for the mHealth market, writes eMarketer. The report, conduced by Harris Poll for Salesforce.com, found:

• 74% of 18-to-34-year-olds preferred to have their planning and payment experience for healthcare done online.
• 73% said they are interested in having their doctors use mobile devices during appointments to share data.  
• 63% said they would provide their personal health data using wearables or other wireless connected devices.

Healthcare remains one of the biggest markets for the IoT to tap. More programs are emerging that allow patients to connect devices to their health stats, which can then be shared with doctors. Already hospitals are piloting programs to test out Apple’s HealthKit program. HealthKit allows iPhone users to track and share certain health analytics — including weight, blood pressure, and heart-rate. Regulations and privacy remain an obstacle, specifically when it comes to sharing private health data. Once hospitals figure out a way to securely connect patient data with professionals, however, getting consumers on board will be the last hurdle. These findings from Harris Poll indicate that this younger generation will likely be the ones fostering in mHealth to the masses.

Verizon reported that the healthcare/pharmaceutical industry saw tepid growth in the number of M2M connections last year.