Americans are “ready” to adopt the modern mHealth technologies and devices, according to the latest Harris Poll survey.
According to the research firm’s findings, nearly half of Americans are extremely or very interested in being able to check their blood pressure (48%) or their heart and heartbeat for irregularities (47%) on their smartphone or tablet, with an additional 23% and 22%, respectively, saying they’re somewhat interested. Track physical activity is something 43% of Americans say they’re extremely or very interested in doing, with an additional 25% somewhat interested.
Interest is also strong for general blood testing services (41% extremely/very interested and 21% somewhat interested); photographing one’s eye, cornea, or retina to diagnose eye problems (40% and 23%); checking blood sugar or glucose levels (39%, 22%); measuring lung function (38%, 23%); and diet tracking (36%, 24%) via mobile devices.
On the other hand, there’s a little less interest in conducting urine tests (26% extremely/very, 19% somewhat) and checking stool samples (19%, 15%) via mobile devices, though clearly such applications are not without proponents.
Unsurprisingly, millennials are more likely than their elder counterparts to indicate being extremely or very interested in many of the services and applications evaluated:
| Millennials | Gen Xers | Baby Boomers | Matures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracking physical activity | 57% | 45% | 35% | 25% |
| Tracking their diet | 50% | 36% | 28% | 21% |
| Diagnosing eye problems | 49% | 38% | 34% | 36% |
| Measuring lung function | 46% | 35% | 34% | 34% |
Meanwhile, blood seems to be a keyword for men in particular, as males are more likely to be extremely or very interested in the ability to do each of the following via mobile devices. Additionally, men are also more likely than women to show a strong interest in measuring lung function:
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Check their blood pressure | 51% | 45% |
| Conduct general blood testing | 45% | 38% |
| Check their blood sugar or blood glucose levels | 43% | 35% |
| Measuring lung function | 41% | 35% |
Perhaps not surprisingly, interest for many of these technologies is especially high among those who have chronic or long lasting conditions for which monitoring such biometrics is key.
Majorities of those diagnosed with high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease are extremely or very interested in checking their blood pressure on a smartphone or tables (60%, 59% and 56%, respectively). Similarly, over six in ten of those diagnosed with heart disease or obesity (63% each) show strong interest in being able to check their heart and heartbeat for irregularities via mobile device.
Diabetics (57%) and those diagnosed with heart disease (56%) are extremely or very interested in being able to check their blood sugar or glucose level in this manner. Those with heart disease (56%) also show a strong of interest in the opportunity to conduct general blood testing using their mobile devices.
This Harris Poll was conducted online, in English, within the United States between August 13 and 18, 2014 among 2,537 adults (aged 18 and over). The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population.