Chronic Disease Patients' Willingness to Access Health Information via Online Channels: Insights from a Klick Health, Google, and Digital Health Coalition Survey

Mar 18, 2015 06:25 CST Updated 06:25

Recently, Klick Health, in collaboration with Google and the Digital Health Coalition, conducted a survey to understand how internet technologies impact the lives of patients with chronic diseases. VCBeat has summarized and synthesized the findings; let us examine whether the results differ from our expectations.

Mobile Devices Have Not Taken the Lead; Multi-Screen Trend Is Evident

Mobile users do not hold an absolute majority,PC Terminal Users Remain More Prevalent. The use of mobile terminals has merely increased the number of active users. This suggests that users are likely seeking information across different devices.

Worse Health, More Frequent Online Searches?

The study aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between online health information seeking and rehabilitation outcomes, but the results proved somewhat complex. Among frequent internet users, 70% reported their health status as good or very good. Notably, the proportion of individuals who frequently searched for information online was significantly higher among those who reported feeling very good compared to other groups.

However, survey results regarding emergency department (ED) visits reveal that individuals who prefer using the internet tend to visit the ED more frequently. Forty-three percent of patients reported having visited the ED in the past six months.

Based on the analysis, we believe that the internet plays a limited positive role in this context. Patients are grappling with various issues and complications, acutely feeling the impact of the disease on their lives, which drives them to turn to the online world. Such online engagement is a response to their disease-related challenges, indicating that patients seek information and reassurance from online sources.

The Relationship Between Online Behavior, Device Usage, and Age Groups

We observe a blurred traditional demographic pattern. Patients using social networking and mobile phones are aged 45–54 years. Interestingly, among older age groups, the use of social networking functions exceeds that of mobile devices. Patients reporting daily or weekly usage frequency are concentrated in the under-44 age group, those reporting monthly usage are concentrated in the 45–64 age group, occasional users are primarily aged 55–64, and individuals aged 65 and above report no usage. Overall, 44% of patients engaged in social networking, while 19% used mobile devices.

Which online channels do patients primarily use to obtain information?

Some medical professional websites and health portals have garnered significant attention. Furthermore, we were surprised to find that branded pharmaceutical company websites ranked third in terms of patients’ preference for obtaining information. This indicates that patients are willing to receive information directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers. When asked whether they would use social media specifically for their own medical conditions, engagement metrics among diabetes patients exceeded the average for the U.S. population. This disparity was particularly evident in online forums, where the participation rate among the diabetes population was 38%, compared to 20% in the general population.

Under what scenarios do patients search for information online?

Action is Value! Surveys have found that respondents who are more engaged online are more willing to integrate into real life. A powerful feedback loop may be at play here: concerns about the causes of disease lead to more frequent online searches; finding more condition-related information online provides the knowledge and motivation needed to change behavioral habits; and the goal of changing behavior also enables individuals to receive better treatment from healthcare institutions.

What Do Patients Want?

What Do Patients Want? Greater Integration of Their Online Lives with Physicians.

Only 19% of respondents used mobile devices. We defined mobile device usage as owning a designated device (which most patients with diabetes have) and using it to look up diabetes-related information.

Among users of mobile devices, 80% hope that doctors will recommend apps., A PwC study found that 68% of physicians were willing to make referrals, but only 37% had actually done so.

Among users who rely on mobile devices, 78% are willing to share their data with physicians. Among the general U.S. population, 56% are willing to share their health data with device providers.

Telemedicine is unstoppable. Among mobile-engaged users, 75% wish to interact with their physicians via their mobile devices.

Telemedicine has seen little progress due to the lack of coverage under medical reimbursement plans. However, two forces are now driving physicians in the United States to adopt telemedicine: 1) Insurance plans are adjusting their compensation policies accordingly. 2) The entire industry is shifting from activity-based payment to outcome-based payment. This transition will promote the development of telemedicine, as it is more efficient than traditional in-person consultations.

What Should We Think About?

We have categorized our recommended focus areas into four sections, each of which holds significant value for marketing professionals in the healthcare industry, helping them consider how to better support patients in managing chronic diseases.

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