Humanity’s increasing dependency on mobile devices has led to the increasing consumption of health apps, including health-tracking features on mobile devices. Today, even some budget-friendly phones, such as the iPhone SE, are able to manage the health of its user by simply tracking their calorie intake and monitoring the user’s movements and heart rate. O2 said that it’s one of the most advanced health tracking features showcased on mobile devices currently that uses the company’s A9 and M9 coprocessor. Other budget-friendly handsets don’t have built-in health management features and will need to rely on installed apps that require users to manually input their details, as only the more expensive and premium smartphones come with these features.
Security is another key issue that continues to plague the health sector. As technology becomes the preferred tool for medical professionals, many experts are arguing that security risks become more apparent as data is stored digitally. Award-winning computer security news writer Graham Cluley said that dozens of mobile health apps were found to be vulnerable to security risks. Although 78% of users feel the applications they use are secure, 86% of the 71 popular mobile health apps were tested and proven to contain at least two of the top data risks.
Lastly, the elderly, who are usually frequent medical patients, needing more annual medical checkups, were found to be less open to new services that help them manage their health expenses. Only 9% of those aged 55 and above are open to new ways that assist them with medical costs, similar to what most retirement advisors offer today. Instead, it is the young adults aged 18-34 who are more inclined to signup for these types of deals (56%).
Undoubtedly, there will be other trends and issues that will arise as the health sector becomes more high-tech and digitally reliant in 2016. Stay tuned to this page for more updates and news on the health industry and part 2 on Health Trends and Issues coming soon.
-TechJVB
About the guest author: When it comes to tech trends, TechJVB is the common go-to person of many online readers in the West. But, she has expanded her knowledge on tech as different sectors are now utilizing it to enhance their services, from health, travel, hospitality, business, education and more. TechJVB hopes to be invited in one of the eHealth conferences abroad to be able to share her knowledge and expand her experiences in the field. She plans to expand her readership by launching an eHealth-focused website soon.
