One of the biggest obstacles to the adoption of patient engagement technologies is that many still believe that most patients are not tech savvy enough to properly understand and manage their health with mobile apps. Testing this theory, healthcare-related organizations across the nation have conducted studies on whether patient populations, young and old, are ready for mHealth.

Here are 5 studies that suggest mHealth solutions can facilitate increased patient engagement:

1. Seniors’ interest in mHealth is growing

Earlier this year, Accenture surveyed over 10,000 senior adults from 10 countries to determine how open to digital technology elderly patients are. The overwhelming majority of the surveyed seniors indicated that they’re interested in wearing remote monitoring devices and using other digital health technologies that enable them to engage in self care.

Source: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/news-item/survey-seniors-want-access-their-healthcare-online

2. Patients are investing in mobile app-based telemedicine solutions

A mobile app called Pager allows patients to request telephone consults and house visits from physicians. Mobile devices are being used to tools for transforming both care delivery and the point of care itself. The rising popularity of this app illustrates how transformative mHealth solutions will soon be to the care process.

Source: http://mobihealthnews.com/41227/pager-gets-10-4m-to-take-its-house-call-app-out-of-new-york/

3. Patients are turning to the web to maximize time during doctor’s appointments

Nuance Communications, Inc surveyed 3,000 patients in the US, UK and Germany on their relationships with physicians. They found a significant proportion of them are independently educating themselves on their health concerns via digital technologies so that they can better engage with physicians during their visits.

Source: http://hitconsultant.net/2015/03/30/40-of-patients-feel-rushed-during-physician-appointments/

4. Text messaging can increase effectiveness of health interventions

A systematic review of 15 studies on health interventions delivered via text message has found text messaging is an effective channel for improving health outcomes. The studies included in The Annual Review of Public Health’s review focused on disease prevention and health promotion challenges. Thus, it appears that mHealth solutions can significantly improve patient engagement and self care for patients protecting and managing their health.

Source: http://mobihealthnews.com/41800/review-most-studied-text-message-health-interventions-were-effective/

5. Patients enjoy playing bigger role in managing their health

Ipsos, the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) and Pfizer surveyed just over 2,000 patients and 500 primary care physicians on patients’ readiness to manage their health independently. Most of the patients surveyed are already proactively and independently managing their health. The overwhelming majority also indicated that they enjoy having more control over their health.

Source: http://mobihealthnews.com/43085/survey-64-percent-of-consumers-say-they-can-make-more-health-related-decisions-themselves/

Across the board, evidence is emerging that shows patients are tech savvy enough to use mHealth solutions to independently manage their health and engage with providers. For those who recognize these trends, the amount of mHealth, patient engagement solutions currently on the market can be difficult to compare. That’s why we’ve launched a series on how to evaluate and select the right mobile, patient engagement solution.