Report: Digital Health Tools, Management Important to Seniors

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seniors want to use digital health tools in management of their healthcare

In what may be a wake-up call for the healthcare industry, it seems that today’s seniors are not only more tech-savvy than previously assumed — they’re actually looking to use technology and digital tools to actively manage their healthcare.

In fact, according to a recent article in MedCity News, a new report from Accenture has found that nearly 70 percent of seniors believe technology is important to managing their health. The five biggest priorities for seniors identified in the survey – four of which include technology – are:

  • self-care technology to independently manage health,
  • wearables to track vital signs,
  • online communities to gauge reactions to a doctor’s recommendation,
  • patient navigators and
  • electronic health record management.

Accenture graphic shows digital health tools seniors want

Health insurers should take the results of this survey to heart when it comes to marketing and communicating their member benefits. Does your company have a mobile app? How about an online member portal? Do you offer members incentives for using wearables or other digital tools? If so, don’t forget to highlight these benefits and services to your senior members, as well as your younger ones.

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Though not without problems, new technologies point to solutions for healthcare communications beyond print discharge papers. And the good news is not all of them require investment in a mobile app. Many existing digital and social tools already have the potential to assist with communication that can reinforce physician instructions and clear up confusion and, as a result, have the potential to avoid unnecessary readmissions.