Smartphone Users Wild About Healthcare Apps

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Mobile users with chronic conditions have already unlocked the power if healthcare apps and, according to a recent study, the majority of other users are interested in doing the same.

According to a report published by the Journal of Medical Internet Research, one in three mobile users with chronic conditions is already using apps to help them manage their health.

Researchers polled mobile phone use among patients at Los Angeles County and University of Southern California resident primary care clinics. According to Fierce Mobile Healthcare, patients showed the most interest in nutrition, exercise, and general information on medical conditions.

The study notes most patients surveyed were of lower socioeconomic status, writing, “Given that cultural, educational, and socioeconomic disparities strongly correlate with higher rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, access to culturally relevant mobile health tools may help both patients and providers with management of these conditions.” In fact, 25 percent of these consumers endorsed mHealth apps, while the national average is only 19 percent.

Access to online health information has often been limited for patients with lower socioeconomic status, but this study shows those in that group are now using smartphones to tune in to health information. “Several studies have shown promise that the digital divide may be gradually closing as the Internet and mobile technology become more readily accessible to underserved populations,” explain researchers.

One such study, “Observed that Latinos owned mobile phones and went on the Internet from mobile devices at similar, and even sometimes higher, rates than did other groups of Americans, and it was very likely these trends would continue to increase.”