The pressures to improve efficiency and service exist in all sectors but perhaps nowhere more than in healthcare. Healthcare costs in Western Europe are rising faster than both population and GDP. In 1960, average healthcare spending in the then 15 EU member states was 3.9% of GDP. In 2003, it was 9.4%. In addition, people have rising expectations for high-quality care and customer service. This 2006 Vodafone-funded study is the first systematic study into the potential use of mobile communications in healthcare