News Feature | July 6, 2015

1 In 4 Own A Connected Health Device

Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Healthcare Wearables

Of broadband equipped households across America, one quarter report owning a connected health device.

A recent Parks Associates report found one quarter of Americans living in broadband households report owning connected health devices as well. According to the report, among these broadband equipped households, 29 percent own connected health devices and 12 percent own more than one.

“The adoption rate for fitness trackers and GPS watches has increased, while the adoption rate for other connected health devices has been more stable,” said Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates in a press release. “Fitness trackers stand out as one of the more successful product categories thanks to the release of better products and major marketing campaigns.”

iHealth Beat write the report further found more than half of broadband households use online resources to:

  • access personal health data
  • communicate with their doctors
  • fill prescriptions

Health Data Management explains a report from Leichtman Research Group found nearly four of every five U.S. households subscribe to a high-speed (broadband) Internet service at home. This represents an overall increase from 20 percent of households with broadband in 2004.

Parks Associates released a report in the fall which pointed out that California leads the nation in broadband online health service usage. Health IT Outcomes wrote that, “close to half of California broadband households have used at least one online service offered by their doctors, compared to only 42 percent nationally.”