Rock Health is a venture fund that helps with investments and support for startups that address healthcare issues through technology. The company recently released their “Digital Health Consumer Adoption: 2015” report. This comprehensive survey asked consumers across a range of ages and socioeconomic levels about a range of healthcare issues, from online health information to telemedicine.
One area of particular interest to Health Tech Insider readers are the questions about wearable devices. Perhaps the most stunning result was that 59% — nearly 3 out of 5 respondents — indicated that they had “no plans” to use wearable technology. Another quarter of those surveyed said that they might use a wearable in the future. Only 12% reported that they have used a wearable, and only 5% said they had plans to start using one. And while a slim majority (52%) agreed that they were responsible for their own health, only 7% are willing to pay for their healthcare expenses out of their own pockets.
This paints a pretty pessimistic picture of the wearable Health Tech market, if you are looking to use the consumer channel to drive its growth. The early adopters primarily want the devices to help them be active (65%) compared with only 2 in 5 who want a wearable to help them lose weight. And the person most likely to adopt a wearable device is a person in good health with a higher than average income.
