Whether it's a FitBit or the Apple Watch or anything in between, wearables are perceived as a hot commodity right now with consumers. But while that market is expected to jump from $2 billion today to $40 billion by the end of the decade, there are questions as to whether it will grow beyond niche groups and embrace the public at large - and whether the healthcare community will jump on board.
To gauge how and why consumers are interested in wearable healthcare technology, iTriage surveyed some 3,300 of its iOS and Android app users and created three separate infographics.
The first, "Will 2015 Be The Year of the Wearable Device for Healthcare?" finds that half of those surveyed who don't use a wearable are interested in trying one, while one third who aren't using one have no interest in them. Of the metrics tracked, meanwhile, physical fitness and wright loss are by far the most popular.
The second infographic tackles the essential question of 'What Will Drive Consumers to Use Wearable Healthcare Technology?" And this gives hope to mHealth advocates. Of those surveyed, 76 percent said they'd start using a wearable if their doctor either provided or recommended it, while 68 percent would do so if their health plan provided or recommended it. And of those using wearables, 76 percent are interested in sharing data with their doctors to help in treatments, and 70 percent would share data with their health plan if it reduced their premium.
Finally, iTriage looks at "Wearable Healthcare Devices: Are the Big Players Trending?" According to those surveyed, FitBit tops the list – by a significant margin - of those currently tracking health and fitness with a wearable device. Surprisingly, the survey found that 27 percent of iOS users had never heard of Apple Health and 52 percent aren't using it; while 27 percent of Android users had never heard of Google Fit and 60 percent aren't using it.
