Personal digital health tools — or wearables — are beginning to make a real impact on personal health. If there are any drawbacks to them, it's that users want more encouragement to take advantage of their benefits — not a bad place for a product category to be.
Consumer health engagement consultant HealthMine surveyed some 500 consumers who use wearables and are covered by an employer plan. Three-quarters of those surveyed said their digital tools led to direct health improvements.
Just 20 percent said it didn't make a difference, and 3 percent said their health tools make them less healthy.
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For those who reported that their health hadn't changed as a result of their wearable, the most common reason offered was that they themselves weren't using the tool and related apps often enough.
Nearly four in 10 of those individuals cited inconsistent use for the lack of impact, and another 34 percent said they basically didn't understand how the wearable worked. One in 10 said they didn't understand what the data meant in terms of their health.
But HealthMine cites the fact that three-quarters said a wearable led to better personal health as evidence that digital health tools are finding their place in the health care delivery system.
"The benefits of connected health are just starting to be realized," said Bryce Williams, CEO and president of HealthMine. "Real-time data can help drive the right health actions at the right time. Improving health status one person at a time can add up to improved population health."
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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.
