HIStalk Practice, July 29, 2015, by Dinesh Sheth
Though wearable devices that track personal activity have dominated the consumer electronics market in recent years, one research report from Endeavor Partners indicates that nearly one-third of fitness trackers are abandoned within just six months. For providers, these wearables have advanced from counting steps to measuring heart rates and other physiological parameters, while also presenting one of the most cost-effective methods for ongoing monitoring of health data. Despite consumer popularity, adoption of home-based health monitoring and fitness devices and the use of such data among physicians remains low.
Although the payments for such services are typically not covered by payers, the economics of healthcare services are changing in the shift toward pay for performance. In addition, several new legislative initiatives and incentives – targeted at reducing the cost of treatment and improving outcomes – will pave a dynamic way for patient-provider interaction. The expanded availability of healthcare to millions of Americans through the Affordable Care Act increased costs, and the healthcare industry is prioritizing self-improvement to boost the overall efficiency and productivity in the evolving model. To this end, it is critical that physicians support the adoption of new devices and monitoring technologies to help patients develop healthy lifestyles and ensure long-term success.
Engagement is a Two-Way Street
The fact remains that even today’s high-tech healthcare facilities do not provide a unified view of patient data. Instead, medical records are typically spread across multiple systems and locations, and patients are not engaged in using health records to improve their own health. This can make a truly collaborative effort among physicians, care providers, patients, and family members impossible.