Public hopeful about innovations in healthcare

The majority of people are optimistic about healthcare innovation’s promise to improving healthcare, according to a global survey commissioned by Intel Corporation. Overall, respondents reported a willingness to participate in telehealth visits with their physicians and are open to using health sensors in their bodies and homes.

Conducted last summer by Penn Schoen Berland, the “Intel Healthcare Innovation Barometer” study surveyed a representative sample of 12,000 adults located in Brazil, China, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Among those surveyed:

• More than 70 percent of respondents are receptive to using toilet sensors, prescription bottle sensors or swallowed monitors to collect ongoing and actionable personal health data.
• Sixty-six percent of people prefer a personalized healthcare regimen designed for them based on their genetic profile or biology.
• Fifty-three percent said they would trust a test they personally administered as much or more than if it came from a doctor.
• Eighty-four percent of respondents would anonymously share their personal health information if it could lower medication costs or overall cost to the healthcare system.
• Seventy-two percent of those surveyed are willing to see a doctor via video conference for non-urgent appointments.
• A higher percentage of people said they are more willing to share their health records (47 percent) than their phone records (38 percent) or banking information (30 percent) to aid innovation.

“Most people appear to embrace a future of healthcare that allows them to get care outside hospital walls, lets them anonymously share their information for better outcomes, and personalizes care all the way down to an individual’s specific genetic makeup,” said Eric Dishman, Intel fellow and general manager of the company’s Health and Life Sciences Group, in a statement.