A new mHealth survey finds that well over half of consumers believe that the data obtained from their mHealth devices is helping to put them in control of their own health. Patient-generated health data (PGHD) is seen by survey respondents as a means to improving preventive care needs.
The survey from Ericsson included 4,500 mHealth and broadband users between the ages of 18-69, based in Germany, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US. The survey respondents used their smartphones on mobile broadband, which makes them generally more likely to use fitness trackers, smart watches and health apps for health monitoring purposes.
Among the key insights from the study are:
- 60% of the survey respondents believe that wearables will help them achieve a healthier lifestyle.
- 58% say that they can achieve personalized care using wearables with feedback and alerts.
- Almost half (48%) see a need for home sensors to monitor elderly patients, detect emergency situations and dispatch ambulances via alerts when needed.
- 45% believe that their health management can be improved with smartphones.
- 39% believe that health management could be simplified with online health consultations.
- Administration of medication remotely via a wearable patch would simplify health needs, according to 28% of respondents.
- 26% think that health management could be simplified with a personal fitness app.
In general, health consumers are frustrated by barriers such as long appointment wait times, difficulty in getting convenient appointments and the inability to get appointments with the doctor of their choice. They feel they are unable to get personalized attention from their doctors.