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Moderate use of medical apps by chronically ill

Moderate use of medical apps by chronically ill

Only four percent of the chronically ill Americans tracking their health, use an app or other tool on their mobile device or phone. This is shown by research conducted by the Pew Research Center. Also 41 percent reports tracking his/her health indicators on paper and 43 percent track their health in their heads.



The research shows that 45 percent of the US adults report they live with one or more chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, lung conditions, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. One third of this group report they use the internet as an information source about their, or someone else’s, disease. Of these, 60 percent checks the information they find with their therapist.

Participants in an online survey report mostly using healthcare sites for information about a specific disease, medical problem, certain medical treatment, or drugs. About 40 percent also make use of social media  on the web by sharing, reading personal stories, and asking questions about their condition.

“Our research makes it clear that when the chips are down, people are most likely to get advice from a clinician, but online resources are a significant supplement,” says Susannah Fox, lead author of the study and associate director at the Pew Research Center. The Pew Research Center reported the results from a nationwide survey of 3,014 adults living in the United States.

Read more about the research.

Source: Numrush, Pew Research Center

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