Doctors and patients are increasingly tapping, zooming, and clicking in a flurry of connectivity. According to Fred Pennic author of HIT Consultant’s Mind Blowing HIT Stats and Trends:
- 85% of US Physicians own or use any smartphone professionally
- 62% of US physicians own a tablet
- 81% of physicians own an iPad
- 50% of tablet owning physicians have used their device at the point of care
- 39% of US physicians communicate online with patients via email, secure messaging, instant messaging, or online video conferencing
- Two-thirds of physicians use online video to learn and keep up to date with clinical information
- 88% of physicians would like patients to be able to track or monitor their health at home
Physicians spend an average of 11 hours online for professional purposes per week. And those with three screens (tablets, smartphones, and desktops/laptops) spend more time online on each device and go online more often during the workday than physicians with one or two screens.
In addition to communicating with patients, most doctors say they wish they could wirelessly access electronic medical records, prescribe, monitor both in- and out-patients and track patient referrals.
And it’s not just doctors. Patients and consumers are at it too! Health related Google searches are up 47% from last year, and:
- 20% of patients would like to monitor their fitness & wellbeing
- 18% would like to allow a physician to remotely monitor a condition
- 80% of Internet users look online for health information
- 20% search for health related content on mobile devices
- 23% use social media to follow health experiences of friends
Even more mind-blowing…in 2012 consumers were willing to spend $14 Billion on digital health products. This included $700 Million on mobile health applications, $4 Billion on health related video games and $8.9 Billion on resources rating doctors & hospitals.
No word from Fred on how much of their health information people are getting from blogs such as Word on Health. But with thousands of views each day, and increase in readership of >100% versus 2011, we certainly seem to be part of this upwards digital healthcare trend.
Where do you get your healthcare information? We’d love to hear from you.
