Okay, so this article is about the British patient
living in Britain. I have seen Americans using technology to eat better, track exercise,
and review blood and other tests ordered by their physician. Sounds good…right?
One problem…these same people are still fat, really do not exercise enough, and
really do not care about the test results. I just do not get it!
Is this the end of traditional doctors?
A
third of over 65s use technology to manage their health
As Brits continue to
avoid a visit to their GP, new research reveals a third of over 65s are using
technology to keep tabs on their health and wellbeing
7:00AM BST 21 Oct 2015
The Telegraph
We're
living in the age of digital health according to new research.
In
2014, a study revealed that 65 per cent of
people actively avoid going to their GP, with a further two
thirds admitting they preferred to research health information online. Now new
research has revealed more than half of all Brits use gadgets or technology to
manage their health and wellbeing.
Research
from Push Doctor,
published in the UK Digital
Health Report, found that checking medical symptoms,
monitoring exercise levels, establishing individual BMI
scores, monitoring heart rates and checking blood pressure
are the top five most common ways we are now using technology to understand and
manage our wellbeing.
Half
of all adults now use a gadget or some form of technology to manage their
health, with a third of over 65s doing the same.
People
are even forgoing a trip to the opticians, now preferring to test their vision
with apps. Dispensing optician for Essilor, Andy Hepworth, says while apps can be
useful, they should not be a replacement for your regular check-up:
"They're a smart way of flagging up when you need to get scheduled.
"Vision
loss could be linked to other health conditions, so you should never delay
booking in with your optician if you've noticed a significant change in your
sight."
The research found that people would firstly Google their symptoms and
then ask their partner for advice before visiting their GP, while men were more
likely than women to book an appointment if they felt ill.
Last year, the number of health searches in the UK increased by 19 per
cent up to an average of 848,820 searches a month.
71 per cent said they felt "positive about using technology this
way to better understand their bodies" and believe it helps them to be
more aware and in control of their health.
Eren
Ozagir, CEO and founder of
Push Doctor, said: “We use
technology to manage nearly every aspect of our lives - from socialising, to
organising our finances and heating of our homes. The adoption of health-tech
by the general population remains a natural next step; with more and more
people discovering how their health information can be used to guide and
control and enhance their everyday lives.
“Sports
and fitness trackers, gave way to more advanced health-tech monitoring and
interpretation tools, and now we have really applicable digital health tools
like blood pressure and glucose applications. Combined usage can provide a view
of individual their past and current health state, which can be used by you or
your doctor to inform what you do next; what you do day to day to improve your
general wellbeing or tackle a range of conditions working with a clinician to
interpret and use this data to take action to ultimately improve your short,
medium and long term health conditions.”
Medical professionals have begun to take advantage of the rising
popularity in tracking your health with technology and are beginning to offer
online healthcare services.
5.1
per cent of people said they would even share their symptoms on social media in
order to get opinions from their followers. A further 6.3 per cent said they
had shared data with their doctor online so they could review it remotely, and
almost 10 per cent said they had either participated in an online chat or video
consultation with their doctor.
Dr Helen Webberley, who consults patients online through My Web Doctor,
says although we can never replace the physical GP, online healthcare could
soon be the status quo: "Online healthcare is just about to boom, and
people are beginning to trust and use it much more.
"It is surprising these days what can be dealt with remotely.
Advice is easy by email or telephone; mobile phone photos are easy to upload
for looking at spots and rashes; and more detailed looks at the body can be
achieved via real-time video conferencing. Prescriptions can be arranged and sent
out in the post to home and work.
"Obviously we can never replace the physical GP, but online
healthcare services can still advise on whether you need to see your GP, and
within what time-frame, so the next time the receptionist asks if it is urgent
for today, you will know whether it is or not. The convenience of being able to
access a good doctor from your laptop or mobile phone, at any time of day, and
to be able to receive your medication through the post, has got to be the way
forward."
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