Why Users Abandon Healthcare Apps: Insights from a New IPO Filing
With the vigorous development of internet healthcare, related digital health products have emerged accordingly. Wearable devices, telemedicine platforms, and medical apps, among others, have proliferated rapidly. In particular, there are currently over 2,000 medical apps available; most of their providers are entrepreneurs, as well as traditional enterprises or technology companies expanding across industry boundaries. This group includes traditional pharmaceutical companies, whose fortunes are closely intertwined with this trend. How these pharmaceutical giants can achieve success in this burgeoning sector remains a topic requiring further reflection and in-depth research.
According to analysis by market research firm Localytics, approximately 25% of apps are ultimately abandoned by users, up from just 20% in 2014. Meanwhile, the proportion of users opening apps more than 11 times has declined from 39% in the same period last year to 34%, with this figure being even higher for medical apps. Research indicates that the primary cause of this phenomenon is “generally low user-friendliness.” Furthermore, the medical community remains largely skeptical of these apps.
Dr. John Torous is a researcher and psychiatry resident who has been affiliated with Harvard University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Hospitals, and the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. According to his research findings, certain apps may have adverse effects on mental health.We have yet to gather any substantial evidence regarding the risks or benefits of smartphone applications in clinical care..” John said.
The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, also led a study. The results revealed that a device intended toSmartphones Designed to Calculate Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) and Encourage Users to Reduce Alcohol Intake Have Produced Effects Diametrically Opposite to Expectations.“Several apps used in the study employed eBAC calculations, yet they appeared to have no impact on college students’ alcohol consumption,” added Mikael Gajecki and his colleagues, “and one of the apps may even have had a negative effect on male users.”
Of course, there is no shortage of positive news regarding healthcare apps. According to Telcare’s inaugural National Diabetes Prevention and Control Education Index,55% of millennial diabetes patients stated that they trust medical apps more than consulting medical experts.These individuals also stated that the presence of medical apps has led to more frequent communication with their physicians. The aforementioned index was developed by an internet-based diabetes management provider to measure consumer awareness of diabetes and attitudes toward the application of technology in healthcare.
Insurance companies are also facing a dilemma regarding “mobility.” A recent survey of 1,200 consumers who enrolled in health insurance either on their own or through employer-sponsored plans indicated thatInterest in payer-led mobile health initiatives remains relatively low.
Although 89% of respondents use smartphones, tablets, or both, only 30% indicated they would participate in health insurance plans that require them to use apps to track or monitor their health, and merely 18% said they prefer obtaining health, wellness, and lifestyle information through apps.
What can pharmaceutical companies do to change this phenomenon?
1. When developing an app, always keep the end user's needs in mind. Make the app simple, easy to use, and easy to understand.
2. Develop apps as if developing new prescription drugs. Continuously test them to demonstrate their therapeutic efficacy.
3. Ensure that it prioritizes therapeutic efficacy and enhances doctor-patient communication.
4. Invest in and establish a mobile marketing department. Strategic partnerships with suppliers must be established.
Finally, not all health conditions require the use of apps. Some patients dislike being constantly reminded that they have certain chronic health issues.
