Sponsored Insight
Mobile technology is becoming more and more intertwined with our lives, including how we manage our own health. That’s a good thing — and can even be a healthy thing.
A recent study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital shows that when patients and their families use mobile health apps, they are more engaged in their healthcare and have improved outcomes. For example, the study indicates patients are most inclined to use apps to:
- Communicate with their physician or provider team
- Educate themselves on their condition or course of treatment
- Monitor their progress or compliance as related to their care plan
The research confirms a logical assumption: The more convenient something is to do, the more likely it is to be done. And managing our own healthcare with the swipe of a finger is about as convenient as it gets.
Not only is it convenient, it’s also increasingly popular. Estimates show there are more than 40,000 healthcare apps currently available. What’s more, use of these apps is on the rise. More than 50 percent of smartphone users surveyed responded that they have used their device to gather health information, and almost 20 percent of this population has at least one healthcare app on their device.
Proliferation of healthcare apps is good news for solving many problems patients can experience throughout their healthcare journey. It’s especially helpful for one of the most common problems: Remembering what their doctor tells them.
“More than 80 percent of patients leave the doctor’s office and are not able to remember what they were told before they reach their car,” said Jeff Harper, CEO of Duet Health, a provider of patient education engagement technology. “Uneducated patients have a significant impact on outcomes, readmission rates, satisfaction, and other critical success factors.”
Learn more about how the right technology can empower patients to take a more active role in their healthcare.