Many consumers are interested in using mobile health technology, according to a report released Tuesday by the Consumer Electronics Association, Fierce Mobile Healthcare reports (Jackson, Fierce Mobile Healthcare, 10/25).
For the reporty -- titled, "The New Role of Technology in Consumer Health and Wellness" -- CEA surveyed online 1,679 U.S. adults and analyzed responses to 60 in-depth interviews.
Key Findings
The report found that 36% of consumers are interested in using mobile health IT applications to communicate with their health care providers.
In addition, the report found that:
- 40% of consumers said they have used a technology device in the past year to monitor their health or wellness;
- 33% are interested in managing their health records online (Dolan, MobiHealthNews, 10/25); and
- 32% want to use telehealth tools for physician visits.
The survey also looked at the type of tools patients would like to use and found that:
- 44% of respondents are interested in body weight scales;
- 40% are interested in vital sign monitors; and
- 37% are interested in mobile fitness devices.
According to the survey, physicians play a major role in educating patients about health IT. The survey found that more than half of respondents consult their health care providers about health IT tools (Fierce Mobile Healthcare, 10/25).