With the innovations in healthcare technology, it’s no surprise that consumers feel empowered to take control of their health and wellness with the help of web-connected mobile health (mHealth) devices and applications. Smartphone ownership and the use of wearable technology and health-related apps are on the rise, and the proof is in the data. Since 2015, smartphone ownership has risen 21%, the use of wearable technology has increased 12.3% and the use of health-related apps has increased 25%.
Most health-related devices and smartphone apps are often aimed at tracking fitness, diet and sleep, but other medical-grade web-connected devices are designed to manage chronic diseases. What are physician’s perspectives mHealth technology? And do they recommend the usage?
These are some of the topics included in the comprehensive look at the state of healthtech conducted across the United States by Kantar and presented last week at the Digital Health Summit, held in conjunction with CES 2019. Download the full report below.
According to our research, less than 30% of physicians have recommended wellness apps or wearable devices, and 35% say they would. Similarly, 70% said they have not recommended medical-grade web-connected devices to their patients, but almost 50% said they would.
The Benefits:
There is an overwhelming consensus (83%) among physicians that there is a real benefit of using mHealth devices and wearables for patients with chronic medical conditions. The technology can help self-manage and monitor their conditions.
The Concerns:
Access to mHealth devices can come with a heavy price tag; 50% of physicians believe that the technology is too expensive for their patients. Nearly half of respondents believe the tools can be misleading as well – providing false perceptions of their actual health, positive or negative. Because of this, 72% say they would only recommend mHealth devices that have been approved by the FDA.
