Patients Want a Heavy Dose of Digital

PATIENTS WANT A
HEAVY DOSE OF DIGITAL
Healthcare consumers in the United States
want a digitally enabled care experience, and
they are initiating it with greater use of digital
tools and electronic health records.
Healthcare consumers
are taking control
of their data
The patient experience is going digital, and
consumers are leading the way by accessing
electronic health records (EHRs) and using
digital tools, such as wearables and apps, to
manage their health. Patients have firm beliefs
about who should access their data—but
providers don’t always agree.
To improve patient engagement and customer
satisfaction, healthcare organizations must close
the gap between what patients demand and
what providers deliver by investing in digital
tools and strategies.
01
Consumers of all ages are accessing their EHR, and they know more
about the data that is available to them than two years ago
FIGURE 3.
Consumers know more about what
data they can access in their EHR
More US consumers with EHRs are accessing their records, 45% in 2016 vs. 27% in 2014
(see Figure 1). Health technology users age 65-74 are most likely to have turned to their
EHRs to manage their health (38% did so in 2016 vs. 22% of those 18-34) (see Figure 2).
Lab work and blood test results
Prescription medication history
FIGURE 2.
More US consumers with electronic health
records are accessing their records
Health technology users age 65-74
are most likely to have turned to their
EHRs to manage health
2014
27%
2016
45%
38%
Top Users
(Ages 65-74)
33%
15%
X-rays or nuclear imaging results
13%
29%
35%
I do not know what information
2014
2016
FIGURE 4.
Data that patients with EHRs find
most helpful to health management
41%
Lab work and blood results
24%
Physician notes from visits/condition
Compared to two years ago, healthcare consumers know more about what data they can access in
their EHR. In 2016, 65% with EHRs said they know what data they have access to in their EHR vs.
39% in 2014. However, 35% still don’t know what information they can access (see Figure 3).
Source: Accenture 2016
35%
18%
Physician notes from visits/condition
Least Users
(Ages 18-34)
Interestingly, those patients who have accessed their EHR are doing so to stay informed (41%),
but not for help with making medical decisions (6%). Among consumers who know what
information they have access to, 41% say accessing lab work and blood test results is most
helpful for managing health, while 24% say having physician notes is most helpful (see Figure 4).
36%
15%
Billing information
?
37%
16%
Personal profile information
(ie. demographics)
22%
���
� �
VS
44%
23%
Immunization status
FIGURE 1.
48%
24%
Prescription medication history
?
9%
Personal profile information
(ie. demographics)
5%
Immunization status
5%
X-rays or nuclear imaging results
5%
Billing information
5%
None of the above
6%
61%
Doctors and consumers
don’t always agree on
what a patient should
access in his/her EHR
Most (92%) patients believe they should have
full access to their records, while only 18%
of physicians share this belief. Interestingly,
about half (49%) of patients believe they have
full access (see Figure 5). The perception gap
about EHR access has widened in the past two
years, a 42% decline in physicians and a 10%
rise in patients.
02
FIGURE 5.
Most consumers think they should
have full access to their EHR
Level of access a patient
should have to EHR
FIGURE 6.
Consumers and doctors agree that patients
should be able to update their EHR information
Level of access patients
believe they have access to
�
�
��� �
1%
7%
92%
74%
7%
18%
27%
24%
Demographics
86%
95%
Full Access
Limited Access
%
89% 93
90%
83%
87% 83%
86% 84%
New
Symptoms
Change in
Symptoms
49%
Personal
Medical History
Demographic
Information
Consumers
Family
Medical History
Doctors
FIGURE 7.
Consumers view EHR primarily as a
tool for their doctors and themselves
Doctors
Consumers
Symptoms
Medical History
No Access
75%
My primary doctor
67%
Me
Most (77%) patients who favor patient access want to see exactly what the doctor sees—
not a summary. They also want the ability to update their records, such as with their
demographic information (86%), family medical history (89%) and new symptoms (87%).
Healthcare consumers and doctors are in agreement that patients should be able to update
most information in his/her EHR (see Figure 6).
55%
My other doctors/specialists
?
Anyone I give permission to
52%
Hospitals I visit
51%
32%
Urgent care centers I visit
Doctors/Specialists performing
procedure in other country
30%
28%
My pharmacy
Consumers have strong views on who should access their EHR data. They view their EHR as a
tool for their primary doctor (75%) or themselves (67%), not to be accessed by others, unless
they provide permission (52%). Very few (3%) consumers believe their employer, government
(3%) or a retail clinic (9%) should be able to access their health record (see Figure 7).
Source: Accenture 2016
22%
Family members
20%
Caregiver
Retail clinics I visit
An overseas health expert
performing clinical analysis
9%
8%
My employer
3%
The government
3%
Consumers’ use of apps and
wearables has doubled, and
both doctors and patients
agree there are benefits
Use of health apps has doubled in the past
two years (33% in 2016 vs. 16% in 2014)
among consumers who use technology to
manage their health. Use of health
wearables has also doubled (21% in 2016 vs.
9% in 2014) (see Figure 8). The use of social
media has increased from 14% to 21%.
03
FIGURE 9.
FIGURE 8.
Use of health apps and wearables has doubled in the
past two years among health technology users
2014
Wearable
technology
���
9%
The most popular health apps are
Fitness and Diet/Nutrition
2016
59%
52%
���
21%
36%
28%
25%
12%
Fitness
Mobile phone/
tablet app
���
16%
���
33%
Diet/
nutrition
Symptom
navigator
Health/
condition
tracker
Patient
portal app
Medication
tracker/
reminder/
manager
10%
Chronic
condition/
disease
management
FIGURE 10.
Consumers and doctors agree that using
wearables helps patient engagement
�
��
�
�
Engagement with own health
Individuals aged 18-34 are the most prevalent users of both apps (48%) and
wearables (26%). The most popular among all app users are Fitness (59%) and
Diet/Nutrition (52%) apps (see Figure 9).
Both US consumers (77%) and doctors (85%) agree that using wearables helps a
patient engage in their health (see Figure 10).
19%
12% 3%
4%
77 %
CONSUMERS
Source: Accenture 2016
Helps
85%
DOCTORS
Hurts
Has no effect
Consumers are willing to
track their health using digital
tools, and share the data with
healthcare professionals
The majority (78%) of healthcare consumers wear or
are willing to wear technology to track their lifestyle
and/or vital signs (see Figure 11). Of consumers who
were asked by a doctor to wear technology to track their
fitness and lifestyle (18%) or vital signs (19%), roughly
three-fourths (76%) of patients followed the physician’s
recommendation (see Figure 12).
Most consumers are willing to share wearable or app
data with a doctor (90%) or nurse (87%)—and 40% of
health app users have already done so. Willingness to
share wearable or app data drops when it comes to
health plans (63%) or employers (31%)
(see Figure 13).
04
FIGURE 11.
FIGURE 12.
Most US consumers wear, or would be willing to
wear, technology for health-tracking
When recommended by a doctor,
3 in 4 consumers followed advice to wear
technology to track health
78%
Yes, 76%
15%
12%
51%
Fitness and
lifestyle (only)
Vital signs
(only)
Both
Willingness to wear health technology can also offer data to be used in
virtual visits—visits that are increasing in popularity due to convenience
and cost advantages
Healthcare consumers and US doctors agree that virtual visits offer lower costs (58%
of consumers vs. 62% of doctors) and convenience (52% consumers vs. 80% doctors) for
patients, but patients perceive quality of care as a main advantage of in-person visits.
Twenty-nine percent of healthcare consumers now say they prefer remote to in-person
visits, a small increase from 23% in 2014.
Source: Accenture 2016
No, 24%
FIGURE 13.
Most consumers are willing to share wearable
or app data with a doctor or nurse
90%
87%
72%
63%
38%
Doctor
Nurse/
Other HCP
Friend/
Family
Member
31%
Employer
Health
Online
Insurance community/
Plan
Other app users
PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE
BY CLOSING THE GAP
Consumers’ speed of digital adoption in the past two years is
significant, illustrating that patients are leading the way in using
digital tools to manage their health. Access to EHRs is increasing
significantly, however there is a gap between physician and
patient expectations on the level of access to this information.
There is an opportunity for physicians to increase the level of
transparency and improve communications with patients.
Providers that invest in digital tools and develop strategies to
adapt to consumers’ expectations will close the gap between
what patients demand, and what providers deliver.
For more information:
Kaveh Safavi, M.D., J.D.
[email protected]
Rick Ratliff
[email protected]
Kip Webb, M.D., M.P.H.
[email protected]
Linda MacCracken
[email protected]
Accenture 2016
Consumer Survey
on Patient Engagement
Accenture commissioned a seven-country
survey of 7,840 consumers ages 18+ to assess
their attitudes toward health, the healthcare
system, electronic health records, healthcare
technology and their healthcare providers’
electronic capabilities. The online survey
included consumers across seven countries:
Australia (1013), Brazil (1006), England (1009),
Norway (800), Saudi Arabia (852), Singapore
(935) and the United States (2225). The survey
was conducted by Nielsen on behalf of
Accenture between November 2015 and
January 2016. The analysis provided
comparisons by country, sector, age and use.
Where relevant, the survey uses select findings
https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-accenfrom
the 2016 Accenture Doctors Survey to
ture-doccompare the doctor and consumer responses.
tors-survey-2015-healthcare-it-pain-progress.aspx
* Numbers in the figures may not add to 100%
due to rounding.
Copyright © 2016 Accenture
All rights reserved.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional
services company, providing a broad range
of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and
operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across
more than 40 industries and all business
functions—underpinned by the world’s
largest delivery network—Accenture works
at the intersection of business and
technology to help clients improve their
performance and create sustainable value
for their stakeholders. With approximately
373,000 people serving clients in more than
120 countries, Accenture drives innovation
to improve the way the world works and
lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AccentureHealth?ref_src=tws@AccentureHealth
rc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author