Mobile medicine is hot. A 2012 Pew Internet & American Life poll found 37 percent of Americans accessed apps to track their well-being, up from 17 percent in 2010.
Small-business owners and employees, in particular, may want to pay attention to the trend.
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation 2012 report, smaller companies are less likely to offer insurance to employees, or may keep premiums down by offering coverage of lower quality. Over half (58 percent) of covered workers at small firms now have a deductible of a $1,000 dollars or more, according to a 2013 study from Kaiser.
"[Personal technology's use] will become pretty widespread as people pay more out of pocket for insurance," said Dr. Patricia Salber, an internist who blogs about wellness at TheDoctorWeighsIn.com.
Because of Affordable Healthcare Act incentives, businesses have also been early adopters.
What's coming next? A confluence of medicine, nanotechnology, sensor science, social networks and smartphones.
—By Bob Diddlebock, Special to CNBC.com. Additional reporting by Roy Luo, CNBC.com
Posted 18 May 2014