Patients are rapidly getting onboard with mobile health technology, according to a study released yesterday by the Consumer Electronics Association. The general message from the study, The New Role of Technology in Consumer Health and Wellness is this: Consumers understand the technology that's becoming available, and are eager to try it out. Here are some highlights:
- 36 percent of consumers say they want to be able to send information to their doctor wirelessly;
- 33 percent want to manage their health records online;
- 32 percent want to have telehealth visits with their doctors.
And it seems you've got your medical staff to thank for all this technology enthusiasm. The study notes that "doctors play a major role in educating consumers about technology, as more than half of consumers said they consult their healthcare provider for information on health technology services."
One surprising point: Patients seem to have a solid understanding of the less-well-publicized remote patient monitoring technologies, too. They're interested in trying:
- Body weight scales (44 percent);
- Vital sign meters and gauges (40 percent);
- Mobile fitness devices (37 percent).
And this level of patient engagement should only go up in the months ahead, according to a key index released by CEA.
To learn more:
- read the CEA press release
- here's more info on the CEA index