Interactive and Digital Marketing

Facts & Figures

• According to a survey by MedPanel, physicians are discussing wearables or health apps with 15 percent of their patients on average. This figure contrasts with the number of potential candidates: physicians say 38 percent of patients not using a wearable and 42 percent of patients not using an app could benefit from doing so.

• The Apple Watch is the brand most physicians (82 percent) are aware of. However, physicians are most familiar with Fitbit, by a 2 to 1 margin. Physicians are on average only mildly satisfied with current products. In fact, the Microsoft Band scores the highest of all wearables for satisfaction on the two attributes physicians say are most important: ease of use and the clinical utility of data the devices generate.

“As long as tech companies view wearables and apps as consumer-driven markets, these products will remain a fad,” says Jason LaBonte, president, MedPanel. “But if they engage physicians to recommend these products, wearables and apps will be viewed as part of healthcare and become permanent fixtures.”

By Med Ad News staff