Research

A total of 8.1 million smartwatch units were shipped in Q4 2015, rising a healthy 316 percent from 1.9 million in Q4 2014.

The adoption of these services will increase as service providers roll out initiatives to tackle issues such as infant mortality and infectious diseases.

The study looked at depression and smoking cessation apps, and has found a wide variations concerning effectiveness, performance and ease of use.

Half of the study participants received an activity tracker and access to an online portal, and were able to outperform their peers in the control group.

The research firm estimates that Apple took two-thirds of the smartwatch market; Samsung was second, Pebble - third, while Huawei took the fourth position.

In comparison, distribution through other channels, such as via doctors, hospitals or pharmacies are increasingly seen to be weaker channels.

The study, which involved reviewing data from 16 clinical trials, found that texting can improve medication adherence rates between 50 and 67 percent.

The number of these companies has spiked from 4 in 2010, to 42 in 2014, with annual investment growing at an annual rate of 224% over the same period.

The survey with 1,000 respondents was commissioned by The Society for Participatory Medicine and healthcare technology company Biotricity.

Researchers at University of Toronto also examined the cyber-security of fitness tracking devices, and have found room for improvements.