40% of patients are willing to share mobile health data with their doctors, according to a new study reveals opportunity to leverage mobile health to drive positive behavior change.
A new study released by mobile engagement provider Mobiquity, Inc has found that while 70 percent of people use mobile apps on a daily basis to track calorie intake and monitor physical activities, only 40 percent of patients will share mobile health data and insights with their doctors. Working with an independent research firm, Mobiquity’s “Get Mobile, Get Healthy: the Appification of Health & Fitness” study reveals the opportunity for healthcare professionals and organizations to leverage mobile to drive positive behavior change and healthier patient outcomes.
Mobiquity commissioned independent research firm Research Now to survey 1,000 consumers who use, or plan to use, health and fitness mobile apps. The study was conducted between March 5-11, 2014.
Key findings of the study include:
Mobile drives healthier lifestyles
- 34 percent of mobile health and fitness app users said they would increase their use of apps if their doctors actively recommended it.
- 73 percent of people claim to be healthier by using a smartphone and apps to track their health and fitness. Fifty three percent, in fact, discovered they were eating more calories than they realized.
- Sixty-three percent intend to continue, and even increase, their mobile health tracking in the next five years.
- 55 percent of today’s mobile health app users also plan to introduce wearable devices like pedometers, wristbands and smartwatches to their health monitoring in coming years.
Smartphone health tracking trumps social networking
- For many, using a smartphone to track their health and fitness is more important to them than using their phone for
- social networking (69 percent)
- mobile shopping (68 percent)
- listening to music (60 percent)
- making/receiving phone calls (30 percent)
Room for improvement
What’s stopping people from using their health and fitness apps more? Doctor recommendations would be a big motivator, said 34 percent. Privacy was also a concern for 61 percent. But the chief reason people quit using these apps is simply because they forget — something that could and should be addressed by app developers to ensure health apps are less disposable.
“Our study shows there’s a huge opportunity for medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies and health organizations to use mobile to drive positive behavior change and, as a result, better patient outcomes,” said Scott Snyder, president and chief strategy officer at Mobiquity. “The gap will be closed by those who design mobile health solutions that are indispensable and laser-focused on users’ goals, and that carefully balance data collection with user control and privacy.”
Mobiquity’s study “Get Mobile, Get Healthy: the Appification of Health & Fitness” can be downloaded here: http://www.mobiquityinc.com/mHealth-report-2014.
photo credit: juhansonin via cc
