SAN DIEGO - A new national study released today at International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009® by CTIA-The Wireless Association® in conjunction with Harris Interactive®, finds that almost eight in ten Americans (78%) expressed interest in mHealth (or mobile health) solutions and more than one in ten (15%) said they were extremely/very interested in learning more about it. Interest in mHealth service options was so strong that nearly 1 in 5 (19%) people surveyed said they would upgrade their existing wireless plan to participate and 11% said they would even consider switching wireless providers to receive mobile healthcare services.
This in-depth study uses research from an online survey of U.S. adults and an online survey of physicians to gauge their interest in mHealth service options. After being introduced to an overview of mobile healthcare services, such as wireless remote monitoring, 40% believe it would supplement the medical care they receive from their doctor now and almost one-quarter (23%) believe mobile health services might replace doctor visits altogether.
“These results clearly show that wireless plays an important role in solving the healthcare crisis in America. Wireless is the right medicine we need to help cure our country’s healthcare,” said Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association. “Americans want more choice and control over their own healthcare and recognize wireless can provide them that. Likewise, doctors see it as a way to improve treatment for all patients. mHealth is a great equalizer that will allow millions of Americans – no matter where they live or their economic situation – to have access to the same healthcare and to ‘visit’ the best doctors’ offices in the country, which ultimately mean significant improvements in the medical community’s ability to identify and resolve epidemics, reduce medical errors and expand preventative healthcare.”
The study indicates Americans are seeing great potential in the future of mHealth. Adults surveyed believe that those in rural areas had the most to gain from mobile heath services (51%). Closely following were those with chronic diseases that needed monitoring (48%), retired/Medicare patients (41%) and caregivers (38%).
The doctors and specialists surveyed also had a high-level of enthusiasm for mobile health services. Physicians said more than one quarter of all their patients would benefit from such services and 80% of doctors and 89% of specialists voted to continue investment in mHealth.
“mHealth services could be the penicillin of the 21st century. It has the potential to be a game changer by reducing cost and improving the quality and convenience of healthcare around the globe,” states Joseph Porus, Vice President of Technology Research Group at Harris Interactive. “Consumers and physicians are just waking up to how powerful a vaccine mobile health services can become. It won’t be long before you look at your mobile phone and your doctor will ask you to open your mouth and say ‘Ahh.’”
Survey respondents strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that access to mobile healthcare services would result in the following benefits:
Allow for more home-based care (68%)
Make the patient feel like they are always being watched (57%)
Offer a measure of safety for patients or their family/friends (57%)
Give patients peace of mind (54%)
Make medical care easier to obtain (51%)
Give patients more freedom and choice (51%)
The survey also tested specific mobile health concepts. The most popular ideas for device applications included:
Mobile Exams/Consultations
Mobile Wellness Care
Mobile Monitoring
Mobile Elderly Monitoring
Background on the Study
This research was comprised of two different studies. The first study was conducted online among 3229 U.S. adults, 115 general practitioners and 129 specialists between September 11 and 16, 2009. A second study of 2334 U.S. adults was conducted online between September 8 and 15, 2009.
Additional data and tables are available upon request.
About CTIA-The Wireless Association
CTIA is the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry, representing carriers, manufacturers and wireless Internet providers. Visit www.ctia.org for more information.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
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CTIA
Amy Storey, 202-736-3207
or
Harris Interactive Corporate Communications
212-539-9600
