Patient Apps for Improved Healthcare From Novelty to Mainstream

Abstract

Apps have become ubiquitous in many aspects of our lives over the past five years, fueled by the widespread availability of tablet computers and smartphones. Tens of thousands of health, wellness, and medical apps are now available for download to Apple or Android devices from online stores. Harnessing the potential power of apps for healthcare has become a focal point of innovation, in particular those apps which can be used by consumers or patients as part of their wellness, prevention or treatment regimens. While there is a great deal of interest in apps and enthusiasm for their use, they have yet to reach the mainstream of healthcare provision, and indeed in many respects are still viewed as a novelty. In this report, we share the results of a study we have undertaken to look more closely at the consumer healthcare apps that are currently available, including an objective assessment of their type, role, and functionality. We also look at the barriers to apps being more broadly and systematically used by healthcare providers and patients or caregivers, and approaches that are being taken to address these impediments. The movement toward digital therapeutics is clear. Our intention is that this report provides some objective and balanced perspective on how consumer apps can play a larger and more meaningful role in the prevention and treatment of disease – resulting in improved health measures and outcomes, and a more efficient healthcare system. The study was undertaken independently by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics as a public service, without industry or government funding. The contribution of Carolyn Gauntlett to this report is gratefully acknowledged. Murray