Steve Jobs: 10 People Who Changed the Medtech IndustrySteve Jobs: 10 People Who Changed the Medtech Industry
The consumer products Jobs helped bring about as cofounder, former CEO, and former president of Apple Inc. have influenced the design and accessibility of medical devices.
June 12, 2013
Since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, nearly every industry, including medical, has been running to catch up to the vision of Cupertino’s golden boy, who revolutionized personal computing. Their task only became more difficult when Jobs introduced the iPad, in 2010.
Both of these devices allow patients and doctors to access information quickly and efficiently. Though his interaction with the medical device industry was minimal, Steve Jobs played a big role in bringing about the consumerization of medicine, a trend that is revolutionizing healthcare and spurring a new wave of innovation in the medtech industry.
Medical device companies have used Jobs's products to inspire better pulse monitors and diabetes testers, for example, that are wireless or plug into smartphones and tablets. Manufacturers have modeled their products to look similar to Apple’s devices with the hope that mimicking the tech company’s look and feel might appeal to patients, many of whom use Apple products in their daily lives.
Apple's iOS platform and App Store have also allowed digital health firms to engage patients in a way that was previously thought impossible. Healthcare apps now allow patients to actively engage in their own health and wellness, and help physicians to provide more personalized care. Many of the attachments and apps developed for the iPhone can upload and share health information, giving more power to consumers to make decisions about their health and enabling physicians to assist in those decisions outside traditional care settings.
This consumerization of healthcare through Apple's technology is having long-reaching effects, such as spurring preventive care efforts and at-home diagnostic testing.
Jobs wanted to make the iPhone and iPad essential devices for everyday living. Apparently, his quest isn’t done; there are long-standing rumors that before his death in 2011 he designed multiple advances for the iPhone, iPad, and even some new devices. Although Jobs is no longer alive, he is still giving Apple a big bite of the market.
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