SUMMARY
- eHealth reality doesn’t quite live up to the promise.
- Even the Apple Watch studies are in doubt.
- We need data on what people do as a result of eHealth apps and devices.
- Only HCPs can diagnose and treat patients based on medical history.
EHealth
SUMMARY: 70% of the people Axios surveyed say they’ve used the internet to research symptoms or learn more about health conditions. And 51% use apps or other tech tools to track their sleep, fitness or diet.
- But as people’s needs shift from personal information-gathering into the formal health care system, their tech usage begins to fall.
- Only 44% have accessed their medical records online, and fewer than 25% have used the internet to manage chronic conditions, mental health, or their health care spending.
KEY TAKEAWAY:Rob Coppedge is CEO of Echo Health Ventures in Seattle and has been investing and working in health care for 20 years. He recently said “I believe the digital health party is over and why those of us focused on long-term systemic transformation should be happy to put this hype cycle behind us”. He is partly right.
POST SUMMARY: eHealth (also written e-health) is a relatively recent term for healthcare practice supported by electronic processes and communication, dating back to at least 1999. So why hasn’t ehealth really taken off when it comes to our current healthcare landscape?