A new survey from global professional services company Accenture revealed that consumer comfort with digital-based health services is growing, advancing new models in care that bring together patients, machines and doctors to create a “delivery team”. Drawing upon 2,301 U.S. consumers, the survey found that patients are more accepting of machines such as artificial intelligence, home-based diagnostics, and virtual clinicians giving them greater roles in an individual’s healthcare.
Kaveh Safavi, M.D., J.D., and leader of Accenture’s health practices globally, spoke about digital health services and the consumer shift underway in a press release, saying, “Driven by experiences outside of healthcare, consumers increasingly expect to use digital technologies to control when, where and how they receive care services. By harnessing digital technologies in this way, healthcare will increasingly tap digital technologies to empower human judgment, free up clinician time and personalize care services to put control in the patients’ hands.”
19% of survey respondents have already used AI-powered healthcare services, with the use of wearable devices quadrupling in the last four years from 9% in 2014 to 33% in 2018. These devices and other innovations provide flexibility to doctors as well as patients, with 73% of survey respondents stating they would use virtual care for after-hours appointments, while 65% said they’d use virtual care for follow-up appointments.
54% believe that virtual care cuts down medical costs for patients, with another 43% expressing approval thanks to the timely care the technology provides. While 74% of respondents approve of virtual care they’ve received, they stressed the importance of controlling or knowing who the data is shared with. Although the majority are willing to share with healthcare professionals, few wished to share their data with an employer or a government agency, with only 38% and 41% respectively.
