Market Trends of Healthcare Gamification Industry
The Exercise Game Segment is Expected to Hold a Significant Market Share Over the Forecast Period
The use of gamification to change behaviors and promote physical activity (PA) is a promising method for tackling the global physical inactivity pandemic and the current prevalence of chronic diseases. The increasing adoption of gamified mobile health apps and increasing strategic activities such as new collaborations are expected to drive the market over the forecast period.
The increasing adoption of gamified mobile health apps is expected to drive the demand for exercise-gamified healthcare apps. For instance, according to an article published in the JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth journal in February 2022, mobile health (mHealth) has become an indispensable medium to deliver behavior change interventions, and there is a growing interest in the gamification apps in mHealth to promote physical activity (PA) participation. The study in the article demonstrated that gamification apps in mHealth improved patients' regular physical activity. Hence, the increasing adoption of gamification in Mhealth apps is expected to drive the segment’s growth over the forecast period.
Increasing strategic activities, such as collaborations to increase access to mixed reality technologies, are expected to drive the market over the forecast period. For instance, in July 2022, First Financial Holding Co. and TPIsoftware, a fintech-focused software provider, collaborated to launch the Qwalker app, a new mobile health and fitness app that featured gamified exercise. The Qwalker app tracks a user's all-day steps, walking miles, and burned calories. It gamifies a step tracker and enables users to earn reward points per completed daily task, which can be redeemed for gifts and discounts. Hence, the launch of such exercise game solutions is expected to drive segmental growth over the forecast period.
Thus, the increasing adoption of gamified mobile health apps and the growing strategic launches of new gamified exercise apps by key players are expected to drive the market over the forecast period.
North America is Expected to Hold a Significant Market Share Over the Forecast Period
The geographical analysis of the healthcare gamification market shows that North America holds a significant market share. This is due to the increasing adoption of digital solutions, advanced healthcare infrastructure, and increasing strategic activities by the key players.
The growing digitalization of the healthcare sector in North America increases the utilization of gamified healthcare applications to effectively monitor patient medication adherence for treating chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. For instance, according to the Canadian Digital Health Survey data from April 2024, the online survey conducted in November 2022 with 12,445 Canadians across all provinces and territories showed that 94% of Canadians were interested in accessing digital health services. Hence, the rising digitalization of healthcare in the country is expected to drive the market over the forecast period.
Furthermore, increasing strategic activities, such as the launch of new gamified apps, are also expected to drive the market over the forecast period. For instance, in December 2023, Eddie, a new diabetes management interface that gamifies real-time glucose data, reported its launch in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri in the United States. By launching in these additional states, Eddie planned to increase access to diabetes care for families living in rural areas of the country. The company is focused on supporting children with diabetes and their families, with plans to expand into the adult market. Hence, the launch of such gamified diabetes apps in the United States increases access to healthcare gamified technology, which is expected to drive the market during the forecast period.
Therefore, the increasing adoption of digital solutions in healthcare and rising strategic activities, such as the launch of new gamified apps to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, are expected to drive the market over the forecast period.
