Health care industry professionals are waking up to the value of apps that can improve the health of their patients and the operating performance of their clinics.
This is the big picture outcome of a study by Research Now, which queried health care professionals and health app users to determine where the industry might be headed. They based their results on responses to questions about whether these folks have integrated smartphone technology in their medical practices, whether they found it beneficial and where they believed the smartphone's greatest potential resided. They were asked to list the apps they use as well.
Among the major findings:
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46 percent of health care professionals say they'll introduce mobile apps to their practice in the next five years.
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19 percent of health care professionals say they'll never use apps in their business.
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86 percent of health care professionals believe that health apps will increase their knowledge of patients' conditions.
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72 percent of health care professionals believe that health apps will encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health.
Other findings by type of question included:
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Will health apps improve medical care?
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86 percent believe that health apps will increase their knowledge of their patients' conditions.
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72 percent believe apps will encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health.
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50 percent think they'll increase the efficiency of patient treatment.
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46 percent believe that they will improve their relationship with their patients.
What are the benefits for those with chronic diseases?
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76 percent of health professionals believe health apps will help patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease.
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61 percent believe that they will help those who are at rising-risk of developing health issues; 55 percent believe they have the potential to help people who are healthy; and 48 percent believe they have the potential to help patients recently discharged from a hospital.
Will more health care professionals adopt apps in the next five years?
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There's a small group of early adopters of smartphone technology in the health care profession; 16 percent already use it in their work with patients. However, 46 percent believe that they will introduce mHealth apps to their practice in the next five years.
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Only 19 percent of health care professionals do not expect smartphone technology to become part of their work in health care.
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59 percent of health professionals use smartphone technology to access medical research and 28 percent expect to in the next five years.
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32 percent of mobile health app users say that they share information collected by apps with their doctors.
Why do app users use apps?
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Most people use health apps to help them lose weight and to track their exercise (60 percent to monitor activity/workouts, 53 percent to motivate them to exercise, 49 percent to record calorie intake, and 42 percent to monitor weight loss).
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However, 30 percent use the apps to monitor existing health conditions and 29 percent, to remind them to take medication.
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96 percent of health app users think that health apps help to improve their quality of life, while only 37 percent of health professionals believe that they will improve their patients' lives.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
