A new survey out of Europe finds that providers there are more supportive of digital health technologies than their American counterparts. Yet they also have concerns about where the technology is going - and they're not sure that pharma should lead the way.
"The Digital Doctor Report 2015," conducted by UK-based Ipsos Healthcare, finds that 72 percent of doctors surveyed in the UK, Germany and France have used or recommended an app, online forum or wearable technology in the past year, and that four of every five doctors see digital health tools as more than just a fad or trend.
However, doctors disagreed more than they agreed with the following statements:
- "Mobile technology will replace routine checkups for stable patients with chronic problems in the fiture" (26 percent disagreed, while 13 percent agreed);
- "Health and lifestyle apps for patients are key to improving patient adherence/compliance" (21 percent disagreed, while 15 percent agreed);
- "Developing disease/compliance monitoring apps alongside drugs will become a prerequisite for reimbursement in the future" (37 percent disagreed, while 10 percent agreed).
Conversely, 25 percent of the doctors surveyed say they'll include health and lifestyle apps in treatment plans in the future, while 13 percent said they wouldn't.
Perhaps most telling is this little gem: Of the doctors surveyed, 73 percent said they don’t even know what they want from digital health solutions. And of those who do know what they want, the top answer is "monitoring."
[Commentary: Advice to doctors: Use Fitbit or lose a link to patients.]
Doctors are also concerned that apps could come between them and their patients. Of those surveyed, 27 percent said they're worried that mobile apps would create a conflict between doctors and patients, while just 15 percent said they aren't worried. The main concerns listed by physicians are misinterpreting data (66 percent), an increase in a patient's feelings of hypochondria (61 percent) and a lack of security and privacy (53 percent).
Regarding the upsides, 73 percent said apps would benefit doctors in treating diabetes (51 percent said they'd benefit patients), 35 percent saw a boost to doctors in treating cardiovascular issues (40 percent for patients) and 29 percent see advantages for both doctors and patients in dealing with respiratory issues.
"Digital health (in the form of lifestyle apps, wearables, etc.) is acknowledged by doctors as part of the future of healthcare; however where and how it will be applied seems to be unclear," Reena Sangar, digital lead for Ipsos Healthcare, summarized in the report. "Doctors see an opportunity in chronic health conditions but cannot pin down an exact application. The primary barriers in development which need to be overcome are ensuring the technology developed is simple to use, reliable (with limited potential for error) and seamlessly integrated with current systems with optimum security features."
Providers are also unsure how pharma will play a role in digital health innovation. Only 11 percent of those surveyed said pharma should take a leading role in developing apps and disease management tools, while 23 percent disagreed and a healthy 66 percent are "on the fence." When asked where they'd go for drug information, 61 percent of doctors opted for general websites, while 46 percent chose pharma websites, 34 percent chose online doctor communities, 32 percent chose online patient forums and 26 percent chose health lifestyle apps.
Finally, 40 percent of doctors said they' don't trust an app developed in the pharma community, compared to 24 percent of docs who don’t trust apps developed by tech companies.
"Pharma, with its resources and connections to wider health services, would be well placed to support the development of digital health. However, doctors are wary of their commercial intentions," Sangar said. "So how can pharma overcome this hurdle? And what marketing approach would be optimal to bridge this gap of trust with doctors?"
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