Physicians, Patients Intrigued By Digital Health Options

While digital health technologies have been available for many years, it’s taken a long time to get both doctors and patients comfortable with using them. However, the time is fast approaching, as the following study suggests.

New research from Ernst & Young has concluded that both physicians and consumers want to collaborate using digital technologies. The study found that consumers are comfortable reaching out to the doctors via digital channels and that physicians agree that digital technologies and data sharing can improve patient well-being.

More than half (54%) of consumers responding to the survey said they were comfortable contacting their doctor digitally. Also, they were interested in using technologies found outside of the physician’s office, including at-home diagnostic testing (36%), using a smartphone or connected device to share information (33%) and video consultations (21%).

Meanwhile, 83% of physicians told researchers that harvesting consumer and patient-generated data would make more personalized care plans possible and improve care quality. In addition, 66% said they felt increased use of digital technologies would make the healthcare system more efficient and lower costs, while 64% said it would help lower the burden on doctors and nurses, reducing the potential for burnout.

To make such cooperation practical, however, providers need to create incentives for data sharing, the E&Y researchers concluded.

When asked whether they were prepared to share lifestyle information with their physician, only 26% said yes. On the other hand, if doing so would allow them to reduce waiting times, 61% said they would share such data, if it would lower costs, 55% were interested. Also of note, 26% said they would be willing to share dietary and exercise information if they got tailored diet and exercise plans.

That being said, the level of interest in digital cooperation varied by demographics. Specifically, the survey found much lower levels of engagement and interest from consumers age 45 years and older, regardless of the form of technology discussed.

Still, both consumers and physicians seem to have a fair amount of optimism about the future of health. Sixty-four percent of consumers reported that they saw the US health industry as innovative, and 70% of physicians saw currently used technology as effective, both of which are high-water marks.

As this research points out, the gap between physician users of medical data and consumer portal users is narrowing by the day, but it’s still far from closed. It may take some time to figure out what incentives consumers find the most motivating. At the moment, it’s still a shot in the dark.

About the author

Anne Zieger

Anne Zieger is a healthcare journalist who has written about the industry for 30 years. Her work has appeared in all of the leading healthcare industry publications, and she's served as editor in chief of several healthcare B2B sites.

   

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