More than one-third of respondents to a Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll said they were "very" or "extremely" interested in using smartphones or tablets to ask their doctors questions, make appointments or get medical test results.
"Similar numbers of respondents were eager to use mobile phones and tablets for actual health-care services--such as monitoring blood pressure or blood sugar, or even getting a diagnosis," states the article on the survey. "Such phone and tablet apps are, however, either just getting off the ground or not yet on the market."
The poll results were based on an online survey of 2,050 Americans aged 18 and older, conducted between May 22-24.
Not surprisingly, the poll revealed that younger adults are more eager to use their smartphones and tablets than older adults. According to the survey results, only one-quarter of people aged 65 and older were very interested in using the devices to help manage their blood pressure--compared to 38 percent of younger people.
Nevertheless, despite the interest in using smartphones for healthcare, some were less inclinced to want e-mail or text 'reminders' to exercise, quit smoking, or take medication.
According to the article, poll respondents were also worried about the security of their electronically transmitted medical information: 47 percent were "somewhat confident" it would be secure, while roughly 40 percent were "not very" or "not at all" confident.
In related news, a recent survey of mobile engagement by New York-based communications agency Ruder Finn found that the most popular mobile health applications for consumers are fitness and wellness apps. In the survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, 49 percent of respondents who used health apps said they used healthy eating apps, 48 percent used fitness training apps and calorie counter apps, while 46 percent used nutrition apps.
The survey found that 16 percent of smartphone and tablet users access health apps regularly. Nearly half (48 percent) of the respondents said that they are likely to use mHealth technology in the next six months, which the report says is three times more than current health app users.
To learn more:
- read the article