7/25/07

A new report by market research firm Kalorama Information predicts that radio frequency identification technologies -- estimated at $297 million in the U.S. health care industry in 2007 -- will experience significant growth and reach more than $1 billion by 2010 and $3.1 billion by 2012, Healthcare IT News reports.

The report, called "RFID Opportunities in Healthcare in the U.S.," suggests that while RFID adoption in the health care industry still is at an early stage, the market will grow as issues of network infrastructure scalability, interoperability and high costs of implementation are resolved.

"The need for enhanced efficiency and cost effectiveness is the main factor fueling the adoption of RFID by the health care industry," Steven Heffner, executive publisher of Kalorama Information, said.

Kalorama predicts that RFID technology sales will grow as awareness of their benefits increases and common standards and regulations for RFID adoption are developed.

RFID already is a $27 billion market in manufacturing and supply chain management worldwide, Healthcare IT News reports (Pizzi, Healthcare IT News, 7/25).

Source: ihealthbeat.org