If there is one thing that we learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that we are a digital society. When in-person interactions ceased, we moved to online as our only hope of fulfilling basic activities such as shopping, work, and school. But, we also moved another very important thing online: Healthcare. Let’s examine digital health trends of the future.
The traditional thought process of going into a doctor’s office is no longer the only possibility. Many people feel more comfortable with digital healthcare because it is convenient. Studies show that over 80% of physicians have embraced online healthcare.
Physicians are More Digital
This embracement comes in their own personal health journey as well. A study conducted showed that 62% of physicians personally use health apps, 41% use smartwatches for health purposes, and 35% use fitness wearables to track their fitness and health goals.
This is one of the leading reasons why we are rapidly seeing the rise of digital health. Not only are physicians recommending digital health, but their active embracement will push this trend to have lasting impacts on the health care community.
Another way doctors are embracing the rapid digitalization of the healthcare industry is the use of online medical sites. Gone are the days where doctors would consult their dusty tomes from med school, now all they have to do is pull up a Google search.
74% of physicians report using the site UptoDate to answer their medical questions, 69% use Sermo and WebMD synonymously in their medical research. This allows for them to give quick efficient updates to their patients on their condition which could be the difference between a living patient and a deceased one.
Doctors are even dipping their toes into the pool of social media! Recently, there has been a rise in doctors using social media for professional use. Reportedly, over 90% of physicians utilize social media professionally.
Social Media is Changing the Game
Social media is used for a variety of different reasons in the medical world. Some Doctors use it to talk to other physicians, many use it to send video to patients on follow-up care, and some even use it to expand their professional network.
Social media in the Medical world has also been used to come up with real-time answers to medical questions. Sites like Google and YouTube rank the highest for professional use and research. This is followed closely by Facebook which has common uses ranging from patient outreach to community building.
Through this embracement of technology, physicians have seen lasting results. Patients report a 61% increased engagement when their physician uses social media platforms. This can lead to better medical outcomes and follow ups from patients.
In this digital world it is very important that doctors learn how to adapt to the changes in technology. Medicine is a very important part of our health, but many times if something isn’t convenient or outdated we tend not to partake in it.
Doctors who embrace social media and digitalization, we lead the charge in this new wave of healthcare. Those who don’t will get left behind. Read on for the digital health trends that will shape the future:
