THE USE AND IMPACT OF

DIGITAL HEALTH TOOLS

There is a growing focus on digital health tools as they offer hope

for more efficient and better quality health care. However, we
wonder: What digital health tools are being used today? and
Do health care stakeholders expect digital health tools will
have a positive impact on health care?APCO Insight
interviewed consumer opinion leaders and health care
providers to answer these questions.

CURRENT USE OF DIGITAL HEALTH TOOLS

Digital health tools are used primarily for access and seeking information, less for maintaining personal
health. This has remained steady year to year. There is also a noticeable decrease in use of tools
related to engagement, including wearable devices, online forums and virtual consultations.
Please indicate if you currently use any of the following digital health tools to help manage your health:

Top Digital Tools Currently Using

Opinion Leaders

Health Care Providers

2014

2015

2014

2015

Website portals to check lab results

or other medical results

38%

48%

62%

67%

Online prescription fulfillment

37%

39%

64%

77%

Applications on mobile devices/tablets

41%

35%

70%

67%

Electronic medical records

N/A

N/A

78%

79%

Bottom Digital Tools Currently Using

Opinion Leaders

Health Care Providers

2014

2015

2014

2015

Wearable devices that track physical activity

such as exercise, sleep or calorie intake

34%

28%

28%

42%

Online forums where patients can interact

with one another

25%

22%

14%

19%

Virtual consultations with a health care

professional via email or video conference

19%

14%

18%

23%

Remote patient monitoring tools, such as blood

pressure, cardiac rhythms, glucose levels, etc.

N/A

N/A

23%

42%

FUTURE USE OF DIGITAL HEALTH TOOLS

Similar to current use, tools most likely to be used in the future are more about access to
care than personal health management.
Please indicate how likely you are to use each of the following digital health tools in the future:

Opinion Leaders

Health Care Providers

TOP 5 DIGITAL TOOLS LIKELY TO USE

TOP 5 DIGITAL TOOLS LIKELY TO USE

Website portals to check lab results

or other medical reports

62%

Applications on mobile devices/tablets

71%

Online prescription fulfillment

62%

Website portals to check lab results

or other medical reports

57%

Virtual consultations with a health care

professional via email or video conference

52%

Electronic medical records

56%

Wearable devices that track physical activity,

such as exercise, sleep or calorie intake

49%

Virtual consultations with a health care

professional via email or video conference

52%

Online prescription fulfillment

47%

Online prescription fulfillment

50%

IMPACT OF DIGITAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES

Digital health tools have a recognized positive impact on health care, but there are also
perceived potential risks, including cost of care and privacy of information.

Please indicate if you think digital health tools will have an overall positive impact,
negative impact or no impact at all on each of the following:
Opinion Leaders

An individuals ability to
manage his/her own health
Access to qualified health
care providers and services
Quality of health care services

Cost of health care

Privacy of health care information

Health Care Providers

79%

70%
9%

14%
76%

72%

14%

14%
68%

70%
21%

17%

53%

54%
33%

21%

33%

46%

35%

33%

Percent Positive Impact

Percent Negative Impact

Percent Positive Impact

Percent Negative Impact

PERSONAL HEALTH AND

DIGITAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES
Although there is a clear positive impact from digital health technologies on health care,
there is not an isolated technology that is driving this impact. Tools increasing personal
access to health care information are rated as having the most positive impact.
Which of the following digital health technologies do you feel will have the
greatest positive impact on your personal health care?

Opinion Leaders

Health Care Providers

Personal health tools/tracking

43%

51%

Electronic medical records

34%

40%

Medical devices

27%

28%

Remote patient monitoring

23%

28%

Wearables and biosensing

20%

26%

% Positive Impact

Other Technologies

Home health monitors

Telemedicine
Digital therapies
Health care consumer engagement

Robotic surgery
Population health management
Analytics and big data

Some technologies seem to lack resonance, and their promise has yet to be understood
by Opinion Leaders and Health Care Providers.
APCO Insight interviewed 287 Health Care Opinion Leaders (n=200) and Health Care Providers (n=87)
between October 9-22, 2015. Interviews were conducted online or over the telephone. Health Care
Opinion Leaders were defined as the top 10 percent most active and engaged segment of the general
public. Health Care Providers included generalists, specialists, nurses and pharmacists.
For more information, please visit rorindicator.com or contact Chrystine Zacherau at
czacherau@apcoworldwide.com