According to a new Accenture survey, nine out of ten people are prepared to share health data from a wearable with their doctor, but only one out of three people is willing to share it with their employer.
According to a global professional services company’s poll of more than 2,300 Americans, wearable technology use has increased from just 9 percent in 2014 to 33 percent in 2018. According to 75% of Accenture’s respondents, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and other wearables are good for understanding people’s health.
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Perhaps more intriguingly, we are all too happy to discuss our health statistics with medical professionals, in addition to our family and friends. In fact, 90% of us have no trouble sharing personal information with our doctors, while just 88% of nurses and other healthcare professionals agree. In comparison to last year, when 63 percent were willing to do so, 72 percent are this year.
But when it comes to employers, we are quite hesitant to follow suit. Only 38% of us are open to sharing our health data with them, significantly less than the 41% of government organizations. According to a prior PwC study, this is largely caused by a lack of trust. Data privacy and employees’ lack of confidence that their employer will use the information for their benefit are the major obstacles to adoption.
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As more and more health consumers accept technology, the study also indicated a rising desire for digital health services. One in five respondents claimed to have previously used AI-powered healthcare services, and the majority stated they were likely to employ virtual nurses, health aides, and home-based diagnostics. Over the past four years, the percentage of consumers using mobile and tablet health apps has tripled to 48%.
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According to Kaveh Safavi, M.D., J.D., who oversees Accenture’s global health business, “Driven by experiences outside of healthcare, customers increasingly expect to use digital technology to determine when, when, and how they receive care services.”
By utilizing digital technology in this way, healthcare will increasingly rely on it to enhance clinician discretion, free up time, and personalize patient care. This will give patients more influence over their own care.
