The Apigee Institute’s 2015 Digital Impact Survey has found that 60 percent of adult smartphone owners in the U.S. — and nearly three quarters of millennials (71%) — say smartphones and apps have changed the way they manage their health and wellness. Also, almost half (49%) now want their doctors to use data from their fitness tracker and/or from health apps as part of their care.
The report indicates that within the next 24 months, smartphones and apps may impact health and wellness management as much as they have impacted the more “digitally mature” banking and retail industries.
Smartphones and apps may impact health and wellness management as much as they have impacted banking and retail industries.“This year’s survey suggests that smartphones and apps are beginning to dramatically impact the way we manage our health – from wearables that measure fitness to health apps from our doctors,” said Chet Kapoor, Apigee CEO. “By tracking and exploring how digital technologies are affecting key industries, we aim to help decision makers better capitalize on these trends.”
Around 171 million U.S. smartphone owners reported an increased impact of digital technologies on everyday life in 2015, but 34 percent are approaching new innovation with caution and adopt it only after the majority of the population has done so.
Nevertheless, smart, connected devices won more than 24 million additional enthusiasts in 2015 over 2014. A majority of smartphone owners (54%) feel “very favorable” toward the Internet of Things and nearly two-thirds (63%) are excited about smart connected devices for the home.
In contrast to Apigee’s first Digital Impact Survey in 2013, today more than 42 million additional Americans report that smartphones and apps have changed the way they manage their health and wellness, representing a 70 percent increase in adoption.
One in three Millennials say they would prefer a doctor who uses app and fitness tracker data as a regular part of their medical practice.By 2017, digital’s impact on health and wellness may reach late majority adoption, suggesting that this industry may be the next “digital frontier.” The survey has also found that more than 62 million Americans — 37 percent of adult smartphone owners — report that they are healthier thanks to their smartphone and apps:
- This perception of improved health rises to 66 percent for those using either fitness devices or fitness and health apps to track health and fitness, and 78 percent among those using both a fitness device as well as apps via their smartphone to manage their health and wellness.
- Among those using both a fitness device and apps to manage their health and wellness, nearly nine in 10 (86%) feel their devices give them more control over their lives.
Also, half of all smartphone owners (49%) say they want their doctor to use their data from a fitness tracker and/or health apps, and 80% of respondents expect doctors to offer key functionality via apps within the next one to two years.
Unsurprisingly, Millennials are shifting the way they view healthcare, with nearly one in three saying they would prefer a doctor who uses app and fitness tracker data as a regular part of their medical practice.
The 2015 Digital Impact Survey surveyed 1,000 smartphone owners 18 years of age or older in the United States. Respondent data was modeled on key demographics proportional to known benchmarks for smartphone owners. The survey is conducted online with respondents sampled from leading industry consumer panels who clear multiple quality checks during the survey process.