Survey: Patients Agree Wearable Devices Improve Health Outcomes, but Find Them Hard to Use
Register now for the second webinar in the Connected Care: Digital Health, Wearables & Connectivity Series, “User Management & Patient Engagement” | April 12, 2022 at 12 pm ET Wearable devices have become a prominent part of daily life, and most notably for patients who are managing chronic conditions. Although commercial devices such as the Fitbit or Apple Watch are ubiquitous and user friendly, wearable medical devices continue to pose challenges in areas such as recording accurate data and device use.
According to a recent survey conducted by Software Advice, the majority of participating patients said their wearable devices improved their health and quality of life, however, one in five patients stated their device was difficult to use. Other notable findings suggest that both patients need more guidance on device use and manufacturers need to improve the user experience, which could allow physicians to provide more effective care:
- 87% of patients recorded inaccurate data and 65% had to contact the doctor’s office to correct the issue
- 67% of patients said a help desk or support team for devices would help with challenges
- 54% of patients preferred in-person tutorials on how to use their device
- 39% of patients rated security vulnerabilities with sensitive health data as a main drawback
Conducted in January 2022, the survey involved 476 U.S. participants who had relevant medical knowledge and were diagnosed chronic conditions that were being treated or managed with medically prescribed wearables.
Related Articles
-
User needs and expectations continue to advance. Medical device technology needs to keep pace. For a successful design, take the following requirements into consideration.
-
As an essential material that creates an intimate connection between the device and its user, and is paramount to functionality, the consideration of adhesives should be brought in at the beginning of the design process.
-
The increasing incidence of hearing loss and neurological diseases has prompted the development of convenient and enhanced solutions in wearable healthcare devices.
-
In this series we examine the future of the medical device industry—from manufacturing to the consumer-patient experience.
