By the end of this year, the total market for handheld devices in healthcare will reach $8.8 billion, according to a new report from Kalorama Information. The market is expected to grow 7 percent , the firm's recent report: "Handhelds in Healthcare: The World Market for PDAs, Tablet PCs, Handheld Monitors, & Scanners" predicts.

Total sales for patient monitoring tools hit $5.3 billion last year, while administrative devices like PDAs, smartphones, tablet PCs and handheld scanners generated about $3 billion in sales during 2009. The stimulus package will drive sales of some handheld devices in healthcare, the report found.

According to Kalorama: "Patient monitoring devices account for the largest share of sales in the handheld market, largely due to the range of products available, the number of conditions requiring monitoring, and increasing demand for essential monitoring products in portable sizes, such as ultrasound and ECG. Administrative devices have exploded over the last five years with the growing use of PDAs, smartphones, and tablet PCs taking hold in the healthcare industry."

Competitors supplying new technologies to hospitals are mainly large, established healthcare companies, often working in conjunction with other information technology companies on an entire system. Some of the top companies offering handhelds are Research in Motion, GE Healthcare, Global Media, Medtronic, Omron, Siemens Healthcare, Socket Mobile, Inc. and Welch Allyn.

For more on the report, read this press release
Check out MobiHealthNews' recent report on the iPad vs. the Tablet PCs in Healthcare