In a new report issued by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a survey of 2,000 consumers and 1,000 physicians were asked about the idea of remote and mobile heathcare services and devices.
Of those surveyed, 41% of patients said they would prefer to have more of their care delivered via a mobile device, while 56% say they like the idea of “remote healthcare.” In addition, 31% indicated being willing to incorporate an application into their existing mobile phones for the ability to track and monitor their personal health information. Physicians are on board as well, with 56% saying they’d like to use remote devices to monitor patients outside of the hospital.
The most surprising statistic was that 40% of respondents said they’re willing to pay for a device and/or a monthly subscription fee for a mobile app that would send text and email reminders to take medications, refill prescriptions, or to access their medical records.
Mobile will undoubtedly be a central element to the future of healthcare, and this survey further proves the support the concept is getting from all areas of the ecosystem. In addition to the benefits for consumers and physicians, the cost savings is a major attribute as well. An excellent example is a pilot program executed by mobileStorm last year for Kaiser Permanente, who was looking to reduce communication infrastructure costs by leveraging the use of SMS. Using SMS reminders, Kaiser realized a cost savings of $150 per appointment, which equated to a total cost savings of over $275,000 at a single clinic.