Almost two-thirds of US Internet users would take up mobile health services today if they were available. Most of those would supplement doctor visits with mobile services, though 23% of respondents to a CTIA – The Wireless Association and Harris Interactive poll said they would replace in-person visits with mobile medical services whenever possible.
Nearly seven in 10 Internet users thought mobile health services’ appeal was in increased home-based care, and respondents saw the greatest beneficiaries of mobile services as patients in remote areas or with chronic conditions.
Mobile exams and consultations were the most popular use of mobile healthcare, followed by wellness care, monitoring and medical reminders.
In an August 2009 poll, Lightspeed Research queried US consumers about how they would like to communicate with their primary care physician. Though only around 10% were interested in texting their doctor for various routine interactions, e-mail was popular with around one-half of respondents.
E-mail, similar to mobile, was seen as helpful for avoiding many of the time-consuming and inconvenient aspects of face-to-face doctor consultations.
Consumers also showed an interest in communicating with their doctors via Websites, especially to schedule appointments (51%) and request repeat prescriptions (48%).
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Check out today’s other article, “Marketing Spending Pays Off for Small Biz.”