What are digital health tools? There are several competing definitions but perhaps the most important one with is what the public make of this evolving industry and of the tools they are prepared to use.
A new survey of 1,004 U.S. adults carried out in 2022 by digital health company Kilo Health asked the respondents to define how they interpreted the phrase “digital health.” It was found that 56 percent of individuals linked “digital health” with accessing their physicians via digital technologies, including the 7 percent who said it meant telemedicine or telehealth.
However, only 8 percent thought the term defines health apps. Just 6 percent see it as websites or web searches, and 14 percent of people were unable to find a way to describe this term at all.
The survey further shows that 80 percent of people have tried at least one digital interaction with their doctor. Phone calls are the most popular (at 57 percent), video calls take second place (42 percent), followed by text messages (25 percent).
According to Kasparas Aleknavicius, Head of Medical Affairs at Kilo Health: “It’s clear that patients are quite familiar with the telemedicine element of digital health. It’s a convenient way to get medical advice straight from the source. However, many people avoid using it because they don’t have insurance.”
Aleknavicius thinks that digital health is a broader term that includes such preventative care tools as wearables or apps. In this context, patients are not using the full range of tools available to them online.
Out of all the people surveyed by Kilo Health, 51 percent say they have not yet tried wearable device (in contrast with the 30 percent who are currently using a device to track their health). In addition, 43 percent have never used any digital health apps (in contrast, 35 percent use at least one app). To a degree, there has been a decline with wearable technology occurring since 2018.
These data indicate that people are not fully utilising the range of preventative digital health measures available, such as apps or wearable devices.
Another digital health solution that has not been taken up as well as might be exerted is with access via the smartphone. To a degree, many distrust mobile solutions. One of the reasons is connected to scepticism about the effectiveness or ease of use. Another reason relates to trust. It was found that 28 percent of people avid the use digital health apps because they do not trust the apps with their health data.
With digital health, each stakeholder in digital health has work to do. Companies need risk traditional telemedicine more accessible, digital apps more convenient, and misinformation, summarizes Aleknavicius.
