Almost 75 percent of smartphone or tablet owners use a health-related app at least once a month, according to Parks Associates’ survey titled “360 View: Empowering Healthcare Consumers.” The research firm says that smartphone ownership boosts health app adoption substantially, adding that the market needs to leverage these natural connections to extend adoption and dedicated usage to key consumer segments who have heretofore been difficult for the health industry to reach.

The survey has also found that 15 percent of smartphone users have a fitness tracking app that they use at least weekly, and that more than 50 percent of smartphone or tablet users look up food, diet, and nutrition info via an app at least once a month. In addition, 70 percent of fitness tracker owners use their device’s app at least weekly.

Adoption of digital health & wellness devices rose to 33% of U.S. broadband households, and fitness tracking devices rose to 10% in 2015, according to Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research at Parks Associates.

“Connected medical devices for home use are still low in adoption, and while over 40% of consumers with chronic conditions have used at least one health app, the percentage of daily users is under 5%,” he said.