News Feature | April 1, 2015

Providers Believe Apps Improve Patient Outcomes

Katie Wike

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

EHR Cuts Admission At Hospital

Nearly half of providers say they will adopt health apps at their practice in the next five years.

Forty-six percent of providers told Research Now they expect to be using health apps at their practice by 2020. Researchers interviewed 500 healthcare professionals and 1,000 health app users for the report.

MobiHealth News reports 16 percent of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals reported they are already using health apps at their practice. Nineteen percent said they do not plan to use health apps in the next five years.

Vincent DeRobertis, Senior Vice President of Global Healthcare at Research Now, said, “Mobile apps for smartphones are changing the way doctors and their patients approach medicine and health issues. Patients with heart disease can send information about their heart rate straight to their doctors, accessories allow diabetics to monitor their blood glucose levels by sending the results straight to their smartphone, and nutritionists can see trends in patients' caloric intake and exercise patterns.”

Providers also shared their belief health apps will improve care, with:

  • 86 percent believing health apps will increase their knowledge of their patients' conditions
  • 72 percent believing they will encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health
  • 50 percent thinking they will increase the efficiency of patient treatment
  • 46 percent believing they will improve their relationship with their patients

“Patients are gathering data about their condition or treatment, ultimately improving their health, or perhaps reducing visits to a physician,” said DeRobertis. “Apps are improving healthcare professionals' knowledge of their patients, while patients feel a lift in their quality of life. Obviously, there is a huge opportunity for the use of these apps.”

Providers also feel apps will be successful in chronic disease management, with:

  • 76 percent of health professionals believing they will help patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease
  • 61 percent believing they will help those who are at rising-risk of developing health issues
  • 55 percent believing they have the potential to help people who are healthy
  • 48 percent believing they have the potential to help patients recently discharged from a hospital