New Data From HIMSS Shows Rapid Digital Health Adoption Necessitates Personalized Patient Technology

Following widespread adoption of digital health technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research from HIMSS shows that while technology will continue to play a key role in post-COVID-19 healthcare, U.S. healthcare patients want a personalized experience powered by new technologies without sacrificing standard of care.

“As we near the end of COVID-19, we’re re-emerging with a new lens of what healthcare can – and should – look like,” said Lauren Goodman, Director, Market Intelligence, HIMSS. “We know technology will play a key role in this new era of healthcare, but our data reveals the prior one-size-fits-all approach to care won’t cut it. We must be focused on finding ways to offer patients a personalized technology experience that not only meets them where they are in their care journey, but also their technology journey.”

This research was driven by the HIMSS Trust, a consortium of leaders across the healthcare and technology spaces who are collecting, analyzing and reporting on in-depth, data-driven market intelligence. Findings included:

• 60 percent of patients want to return to their pre-pandemic healthcare experience – While 52 percent of patients attended at least one telehealth visit in the last 12 months, with convenience being a primary driver of telehealth use, specific preferences for technology adoption, such as telehealth and wearables, vary widely by generation, income and experience.
• Nearly half of millennials (47 percent) say they will prefer telehealth to in-person visits once the pandemic passes – Additionally, 44 percent of millennials reported they may look to switch providers if telehealth is not offered in the future, compared to 14 percent of baby boomers and the silent generation.
• 77 percent of patients are willing to share healthcare data if it will impact their health – When considering the use of digital health services, patients are concerned level of care may decline, but many are willing to share their health data with providers if it can directly impact their health. This includes early detection or more accurate diagnosis of an illness or condition, as well as helping to diagnosis or treat an illness.
• 70 percent of patients think their health insurance is a worthwhile investment – Patients are generally satisfied with their health insurance, specifically, 66 percent of boomers and 91 percent of the silent generation. 62 percent of patients say their monthly premium is fairly priced. 

Inaugural State of Healthcare Event

On June 15, 2021, from 2-3:30 p.m. EST, HIMSS will unveil these research findings, as well as insights from clinicians, providers and payers, at the inaugural State of Healthcare online event. Event panelists will explore how this data can be used to plan, prepare and predict for the healthcare industry over the next three to five years.

Research Methodology

The HIMSS State of Healthcare data was collected from March to April 2021 with a representative sample of 2,743 respondents in the U.S. The report represents online survey responses from 2,062 patients, in addition to 309 clinicians, 225 providers and 147 payers.