Americans are ready and willing to leverage health apps and wearable devices to improve their personal health, according to the findings released today from the Fifth Annual Makovsky/Kelton “Pulse of Online Health” Survey. Designed to uncover shifts in consumer behaviors around online healthcare information use, this year’s survey reveals consumer readiness to disclose online personal health data as a path to improve treatment options. Data also cite trust and quality of health information as important factors in consumer selection of online health sources and show that many consumers are willing to pay more for medications based on efficacy or lower side effect profiles.
An uptick in mobile usage for managing consumer health also is contributing to a dramatic shift in behavior when it comes to personal transparency. Health information has long hid behind the walls of patient confidentiality, with consumers and physicians holding personal health information close to their vests. In today’s digital world, however, consumers and physicians cannot share health information online fast enough.
The infographic shown below illustrates today’s digital patient based on the survey key findings:
