The health tech market is focused on chronic disease prevention and management. In response to increasing demand for these, the line between health and fitness devices and medical devices is blurring. Companies from both sectors want to cross over into the other market. Step tracking has become a given for consumers, and they expect more advanced functions from health tech products. mHealth (mobile health) is booming but there are still difficulties involved, as key players search for profitability models.

This Report examines the gap between consumers’ needs and what the current health tech market provides, based on consumer attitudes towards measuring/tracking various health data, online/phone consultation and current health tech products. Consumers’ channels of information and changes in their preferences for health diagnostic methods also provide some inspiration for marketing strategies.

According to the World Health Organization, health technology is defined as the "application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives". 

This Report only covers the household market for health technology in China market. Three types of products are covered:

• Medical devices refer to healthcare products or equipment that a person uses for medical diagnosis, including monitoring or treating disease (eg sphygmomanometers, glucometers, physiotherapy equipment and oxygen machines).

• Health and fitness devices refer to those not specifically designed for medical use but contributing to a healthy lifestyle (eg fitness wearables, weight scales and electronic toothbrushes).

• mHealth (mobile health) refers to the use of mobile apps that enable a person to manage specific health conditions, achieve health, diet and fitness goals and interact with healthcare organizations (including online clinic service and AI-powered medical consultation).

This Report focuses more on health and fitness devices, mHealth and trendy medical devices such as smart glucometers. Medical devices designed for a specific and small consumer groups (eg physiotherapy equipment) are discussed less, as these groups’ healthcare needs and preferences are usually different from regular consumers.

Medicines, drugs, vaccines, healthcare products and equipment that help people with physical impairments become more independent, and B2B products and services that cannot be applied at home are excluded.

Mobile apps designed to help a person book a doctor’s appointment (guahao 挂号), purchase medicine online and communication with other patients are excluded.

Mintel divides consumers into three groups based on their monthly household income.