Another day, another health survey showing that Americans are ready to embrace technology when it comes to their healthcare, including wearable Health Tech devices. This time, it is the fifth annual “Pulse of Online Health” survey by Makovsky Health and Kelton. Click on the illustration above to see an infographic that summarizes the study’s results.
Among the results, the survey shows that 88% of Americans will share their health information if it means that they will get better healthcare and treatment. This appears to signal an acceptance of giving up some privacy for the common good, in hopes that it will also improve their own personal situation. Another interesting result is that 66% are willing to use a mobile app on a smartphone to manage their health. It turns out that those respondents with chronic conditions, such as obesity or heart disease, are even more willing to use a mobile app at 73% or higher.
Perhaps the most encouraging result, however, is that nearly four out of five Americans are willing to wear a device that could help them manage their health. Among women who were pregnant in the past five years, that proportion jumps to 94%. These results seem to indicate that Americans are interested in doing more than just counting steps, especially if gathering and sharing more biometric data can lead to better outcomes, earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments, and lower healthcare costs overall. Wearable Health Tech certainly has the potential to deliver these benefits; now all we have to do is get down and do it.
