Will Patients Use a Health-Related Smartphone App?

“Familiarize yourself with mobile health,” advises Jasmine Zia, MD. “Most of your patients already have a smartphone and have experience with health-related apps. They are also more likely to use an app if their doctors recommend it

Nearly 60 percent of patients would use a health-related app and believe it would help them better manage their health in partnership with their physicians, according to Dr. Zia’s research recently published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.

Patients were confident they could learn how to use a health-related app and would use it for up to five minutes per day indefinitely. Apps that do not require a visible accessory such a bracelet or necklace were preferred to those that do, but the primary concern patients expressed was data security. Patients want to know their information won’t end up in the “wrong hands.”

Dr. Zia suggests health-related mobile apps may be able to fill needs in clinical practice as well, creating an easier process to manage for both patients and office staff.

Ultimately, Dr. Zia’s advice is to “give mobile health a try.”

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Loading