Regulation of the Mobile Medical Apps in India: Need of the Hour

The Mobile devices and its software applications are in great demand in this era of 21st century due to diverse and manifold perks which it provides to the consumer. In 2012 the number of Medical Application users reached 247 million and the global revenue from mHealth Apps grew possibly to USD 1.3Billion and growing on an upward curve. Medical Apps have emerged as a new tool in the healthcare arena. Medical Apps are nowadays replacing the sedentary techniques for example Patients can schedule appointment with a doctor just with a click from the smartphone by possessing the App instead of going all the way to the clinic and contacting the staff. According to WHO many medical and healthcare professionals the availability of medical apps in mobile context has paved way to new dimensions in health care. Changing landscape and cut throat competition between the app developers and the desire to stay ahead of the curve has created many challenges for the App developers across the globe. Indian App developers should also be proficient in handling Issues related to Content Development. The Indian and European markets are good markets to look at. The underserved rural healthcare market in India is still challenged by healthcare affordability and availability and thus is a strong market for mobile medical applications, especially with the recent penetration of mobile across rural India. Further, the regulatory authority in India is open to mobile medical apps. A framework helps manufacturers focus on implementing a risk-management process beginning with the design function and moving all the way through to the end-of-life phase for a global application.