A survey of patients who've been prescribed wearables finds some issues with the technology and design, but also a lack of education on how to use the mHealth devices and how they'll improve care management.
A survey of hundreds of patients who’ve been prescribed wearables finds that problems with adoption and engagement are tied not only to technical issues, but also to how providers are prescribing them.
Conducted by Software Advice, the survey of more than 450 patients found that while 86% said the mHealth devices did improve clinical outcomes and their quality of life, even more – 87% – said the devices had given them inaccurate information, and 85% blamed those mistakes on usability issues.
Specifically, of those were reported getting inaccurate data from their wearable, 54% said it wasn’t clear how they were supposed to upload data from the devices to their care provider, while 31% said the interface was confusing and 15% said the device malfunctioned. In addition, 65 percent said they had to contact their doctor’s office to correct the mistakes, adding tasks to the care process that wearables are designed to eliminate.
“User experience is such a massive element of developing these devices, and patients need to be able to easily understand how to engage with these tools in order to get the most out of them,” the article points out.
The problem is more than just technical. When asked to list the biggest drawbacks to using wearables, 39% cited security vulnerabilities with protected health data and 17% cited IT issues. But 31% said the devices lead to less frequent office visits, thus negatively affecting their relationship with their care provider, while 8% cited reduced quality of care and 5% said wearables complicate care management.
Those three concerns point not as much to the technology, but to how care providers may or may not be preparing their patients to use wearables. Providers need to not only research mHealth devices and choose those that would best help their patients, but work with those patients on how to collect and send data.
More importantly, they should be able to explain why wearables are important to care management, and how these devices can improve collaboration and clinical outcomes while reducing unnecessary tasks and costs.
The healthcare industry has long looked at the consumer-facing wearables market with both envy and skepticism, longing for the popularity of Apple and Fitbit while saying the data coming from those devices isn’t reliable or accurate enough for clinical care. That gap was seen in the survey as well, with only 9 percent saying their prescribed device performs better than a commercial device and 43 percent liking commercial devices over prescribed devices.
That said, while developers of medical grade wearables may have a ways to go to be considered stylish, those devices are usually more appropriate for clinical care. And it’s up to providers to make that point and help patients adjust to using wearables.
“It stands to reason that patients who are dealing with confusing interfaces or who don’t understand how to interact with their devices won’t get the most out of them,” the article notes. “Prescribers need to be fully aware of their patients’ comfort levels with technology in order to offer user training and support that is tailored to individual patients’ abilities and knowledge base.”
That, too, can be an issue. When asked to rate their “technological literacy,” 20% said its excellent and 58% said it was good, but the remaining 22% said they were either average, poor or very poor in their knowledge to technical issues. Providers need to know when their patients aren’t comfortable with technology (and not just assume someone is tech-savvy) and find ways to help them.
To that end, when asked how they would like to be taught, 67% asked for a help desk or support team that could be contacted for assistance, while 57 percent wanted in-person training on how to use the device and 28 percent asked for “a library of resources and references to help troubleshoot and resolve device issues on my own.”
Finally, despite all the challenges to musing wearables, patients are seeing value to them.
According to the survey, roughly half of those patients surveyed say wearables contribute to “a better understanding of my health,” a key component to patient engagement and the idea that patients should be in more control of managing their health and wellness. Some 27% percent, meanwhile, said the device improve quality of care, 15% said they allow one to receive remote care (such as in the home or office), 5% cited improved collaboration with providers and 4% said the devices “simplified management of my condition.”
Those numbers are low, but that may be because the idea of using wearables for care management is still in its infancy, and the barriers to adoption and sustainability need to be addressed.
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation, Technology, and Pharma for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A survey of more than 450 patients who were prescribed wearables finds that more than 85 percent have had problems using the devices and uploading inaccurate data.
While some of the complaints point to clunky technology or user design, others hint at a lack of education provided by care providers on how to use the devices and how they'll contribute to improved care management.
Providers should not only do their research and choose the best wearables for their patients, but train them on how to use the technology and explain how these devices willl improve clinical outcomes and reduce unecessary tasks and healthcare costs.