Health engagement online deepening at a time when consumers are expected to take a greater role in their care

 

October 10, 2013, New York, NY – Consumers have long used health websites and other online tools to gather information about conditions and treatments. Now they are broadening their health activity online, using Internet resources to support healthcare decision-making and to manage conditions, a new study shows.

Forty-five percent of online U.S. adults with a chronic condition say that the Internet is essential to managing their disease or condition, according to the Cybercitizen Health® U.S. 2013 study from healthcare market research and advisory firm Manhattan Research.

“We’ve hit an inflection point in the way consumers use the internet for health,” said Rory Stanton, Consumer Insights Analyst at Manhattan Research. “They are going beyond seeking-information to using tools and services to manage the day-to-day aspects of care. That’s good news in this post–healthcare reform environment, in which digital engagement of consumers for example via patient portals and telehealth will be a key to success.”

The study also found that online content and services influence how consumers approach health management for themselves and their dependents, with 44 percent of online consumers agreeing that the Internet is essential for their health and medical decision-making.

These and other study findings highlight key opportunities for various health stakeholders, such as pharmaceutical companies, provider networks, and payers, to provide technology-based value added services and empower deeper engagement from end users.

 

Via rob halkes