Research Now unveiled results of its study that involved 500 healthcare professionals and 1,000 health app users in the U.S.

The survey asked healthcare professionals whether they currently use smartphone technology in their medical practice; whether they thought it was beneficial and for which types of patients; and under what conditions they thought it had the greatest potential. On the other hand, the health app users were asked which types of apps they use and how they feel about using smartphone technology in relation to their health.

46% of healthcare professionals say that they will introduce mobile apps to their practice in the next five years.Key findings:

• 46% of healthcare professionals say that they will introduce mobile apps to their practice in the next five years.
• 86% of healthcare professionals believe that health apps will increase their knowledge of patients’ conditions.
• 96% of users think that health apps help to improve their quality of life.
• 72% of healthcare professionals believe that health apps will encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health.

Healthcare professionals believe that health apps will improve medical care

• 86% believe that health apps will increase their knowledge of their patients’ conditions.
• 72% believe that they will encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health.
• 50% think that they will increase the efficiency of patient treatment.
• 46% believe that they will improve their relationship with their patients.

Healthcare professionals see the greatest benefits for helping patients with chronic diseases

• 76% of health professionals believe that they will help patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease.
• 61% believe that they will help those who are at rising-risk of developing health issues; 55% believe they have the potential to help people who are healthy; and 48% believe they have the potential to help patients recently discharged from a hospital.

76% of health professionals believe that mobile apps will help patients with chronic diseases.Most people use the apps as a lifestyle choice, but their use to support healthcare is growing

• Most people use health apps to help them lose weight and to track their exercise (60% to monitor activity/workouts, 53% to motivate them to exercise, 49% to record calorie intake, and 42% to monitor weight loss).
• However, 30% use the apps to monitor existing health conditions and 29%, to remind them to take medication.
• 96% of health app users think that health apps help to improve their quality of life, while only 37% of health professionals believe that they will improve their patients’ lives.

Few healthcare professionals are currently using these apps, but they expect to do so in the next five years

• There is a small group of early adopters of smartphone technology in the healthcare profession; 16% already use it in their work with patients. However, 46% believe that they will introduce mHealth apps to their practice in the next five years.
• Only 19% of healthcare professionals do not expect smartphone technology to become part of their work in healthcare.
• 59% of health professionals use smartphone technology to access medical research and 28% expect to in the next five years.
• 32% of mobile health app users say that they share information collected by apps with their doctors.