Vital Signs Monitoring Devices Market

Market Overview

The global vital signs monitoring devices market size was valued at USD 5,156.5 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period, (2020–2031). Factors such as Rising Popularity of Home-Based Healthcare Services and Constant Innovation for New Product Development, significanly drives the vital signs monitoring devices market demand.

Vital signs monitoring devices are progressively becoming an integral part of modern-day healthcare systems. Technological advancements have paved way for their use in local physicians’ clinics and home healthcare settings. Traditional technologies, including adhesive and mechanical sensors for monitoring vital signs, are gradually being replaced by state-of-the-art smart devices due to the improved safety and accuracy in diagnosis and monitoring. The vital signs monitoring devices industry is growing significantly on account of the devices’ reliability and time-saving features.

Market Dynamics

Vital Signs Monitoring Devices Market Drivers

Rising Popularity of Home-Based Healthcare Services

The growing geriatric population is increasing the need for medical devices and systems, such as vital signs monitoring devices, and the patient preference for home-based healthcare services further augments the demand. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the number of people aged over 65 to be 703 million in 2019 and projects the number to double to cross the 1.5 billion mark by 2050. Urbanization, changing lifestyles due to rising disposable income, and improving standards of living have increased the demand for home-based monitoring devices.

A single vital sign monitoring device can monitor many physiological parameters, such as arterial blood pressure, heart rate, body and skin temperature, oximetry, and capnography. These devices have gained popularity for their portability and easy handling and operation. Periodic updates and prompt alerts for sudden unexpected changes in the health parameter of sick patients give people an opportunity to respond quickly and save lives at risk.

From a personal health monitoring perspective, these devices provide a great asset for people to be able to send health information to a hospital or doctor for advance or emergency diagnosis. Considering their affordability and convenience, the preference for vital sign monitoring devices has increased significantly, which is expected to drive the demand in the coming years.

Constant Innovation for New Product Development

Vital signs monitoring devices have transformed from individual monitoring devices measuring blood pressure (BP), pulse rate, and body temperature to a single device that monitors all the parameters. The demand for accurate diagnosis and the shortage of nursing services in most regions have been driving continuous innovation in the field of vital sign monitoring devices.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2024, the country will face a shortage of at least 1 million nurses. Even today, the U.S. faces a shortage of around 3 million nurses in emergency rooms, surgical centers, clinics, and senior home care centers. The gap between the increasing need for constant healthcare monitoring and the shortage of trained professionals provides a fertile ground for innovation in vital signs monitoring devices.

New products, such as the digital thermometer or wireless monitoring devices, have increased the demand for use in home settings, which has also increased the sales of these devices. The sensor and microelectronic technology field have vibrant innovation ecosystems working toward improving accuracy, sensitivity, multi-parametric sensing, and wireless monitoring. These innovations have a direct impact on the vital signs monitoring devices market. For instance, in December 2019, Nihon Kohden Corporation launched the Life Scope SVM-7200 series of vital sign monitors in the U.S. for outpatient and home care facilities. 

Prevalence of Chronic Disorders 

Globally, the disease burden is shifting from infectious diseases to chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and cardiovascular disorders, such as stroke and arrhythmia. These chronic diseases kill more than 40 million people every year around the globe. Cardiovascular diseases account for most of the chronic disease-related deaths (~17.5 million per year), followed by cancers (~8.2 million per year), respiratory diseases (~4 million per year), and diabetes (~1.5 million per year).

Patients suffering from chronic diseases require routine monitoring of physiological parameters, which has increased the demand for vital sign devices. Further, increasing investment for reimbursement and the need for preventive healthcare drive the vital sign monitoring device market. For instance, in the U.S., Medicare reimbursements favor value-based healthcare for improved patient health at a low cost. Thus, vital sign monitoring devices have become modalities of choice for many patients suffering from chronic health conditions.

Regional Analysis

Geographically, the global vital signs monitoring devices market share is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America dominated the market in 2019, with a sizable geriatric population, a high incidence of chronic disorders, widespread adoption of remote and wireless devices, and streamlined coverage policies. The regional market is segmented into the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, of which the U.S. accounts for a substantial market share due to the high adoption of digital healthcare and increasing investments by key players.

An established healthcare industry and reimbursement scenario also contribute to the growth of the U.S. market. As per the Society of Critical Care Medicine, approx. 6 million patients are admitted to intensive care units each year in the U.S. Cardiac, respiratory, and neurological conditions are common in these ICU patients, which require the continuous monitoring of various body parameters.

Europe Expected to Observe a Significant Growth Rate

Europe, especially the Western European nations, are observing an upsurge in the incidence of chronic diseases due to lifestyle changes, an increase in the aging population, demand for home-based monitoring devices, and portability of devices. As per the European Commission, 70–80% of the healthcare budgets per year are currently spent on chronic diseases in the European Union. Here, vital sign monitoring technologies come into play and identify small changes in the patient’s physiological parameters, promoting self-monitoring, reducing readmissions, and preventing avoidable hospitalizations. Moreover, these devices decrease the number of unnecessary trips to doctors’ offices and diagnostic centers and reduce travel-related expenses as well.

Segmental Analysis

The global vital signs monitoring devices market can be segmented on the basis of product type and end-user. Based on product type, the market can be segmented into blood pressure monitoring devices, pulse rate monitoring devices (pulse oximeters), and temperature monitoring devices.

Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Segment by Type to Register the Fastest Growth

The blood pressure monitoring devices segment held the largest share of the pie with more than a 40% value share in 2018. It is also expected to be the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period. The growing patient pool of hypertension and cardiovascular disorders predominantly drives the demand for blood pressure monitoring devices. As per estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019, about 1.2 billion people around the globe had hypertension. With rising awareness, patients today are more vigilant and constantly keeping an eye on blood pressure as a precautionary or preventive measure, which is propelling the demand for digital blood pressure monitors.

Blood pressure monitoring devices are further segmented into mercury blood pressure monitors, aneroid blood pressure monitors, digital blood pressure monitors, and blood pressure instrument accessories. Mercury-based blood pressure monitoring devices have evolved over the years. They were used only by physicians and trained nurses, and patients had to visit private clinics and incur additional costs to check their blood pressure. Today, due to the development of user-friendly mercury-free BP monitors, such as aneroid, and low-cost digital BP monitors have widened market boundaries to home healthcare.

Pulse Oximeters Segment Holds More Than a Third of the Overall Market Share

The pulse oximeters segment held more than a 35.0% share in 2019. It can be further sub-segmented into table-top/bedside pulse oximeters, fingertip pulse oximeters, hand-held pulse oximeters, wrist-worn pulse oximeters, pediatric pulse oximeters, and pulse oximeter accessories. The fingertip pulse oximeters sub-segment is expected to observe significant demand owing to the portability of these devices.

Temperature monitoring devices are segmented into mercury-filled thermometers, digital thermometers, infrared thermometers, liquid crystal thermometer, and temperature monitoring device accessories. As mercury is hazardous to the environment as well as patients in case of accidental damage, there has been innovation in the product segment to reduce the risk, which has resulted in the development of digital thermometers without mercury.

Hospitals and Clinics Comprise the Largest End-User Segment with More than a Third of the Market Share

Based on end-user, the market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, home healthcare, diagnostic centers, and other healthcare settings. Hospitals and clinics formed the largest end-user segment, with a 37% vital signs monitoring devices market share in 2019. This can be attributed to their large patient base and greater financing power for these devices. These devices can now be linked via a network in an integrated framework where hospital staff can monitor patients’ vital signs in a single portal with convenience. The demand from hospitals and clinics comprises all categories of vital sign monitors as these devices are required in large quantities in each room, nurse’s station, operation theater, emergency room, outpatient clinic, and hospital’s ambulatory service.

Home Healthcare to be the Fastest-Growing Segment by End-User

The home healthcare end-user segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR as the demand for vital signs monitoring devices in-home healthcare settings is increasing due to patients’ preference for home-based treatment, post-surgical recovery, and long-term care. Moreover, home healthcare is cost-efficient compared to a hospital stay. Additionally, developed countries, such as the U.S. and the U.K., have streamlined their reimbursement policies for home healthcare medical devices, including vital signs monitoring devices, further increasing the demand for these devices in-home healthcare.

Impact of covid-19

The international community has witnessed the emergence of the novel coronavirus and associated respiratory diseases, including the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. Vital signs, such as temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, help determine a patient's health status and guide the patient to appropriate care, determine potential diagnoses, and predict recovery. Investigators also hypothesize that patients and local health systems may benefit from the response obtained from these vital sign monitoring systems, which detect changes in respiration, temperature, and circulation variables in combination with the patient's overall health.

Recent Developments

• In January 2020, Withings, a digital health company based in France, launched ScanWatch, the latest hybrid smartwatch, which is designed to detect both sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation. The watch can measure V02 max and works as a vital health parameter monitor.
• In May 2019, Mindray and Masimo entered into a coalition agreement, which entailed the integration of Mindray devices with Masimo sensors. The collaboration agreement expanded the presence of these devices in the Middle East, Russia, Asia-Pacific, Australia, and India.