Perceptions of using digital technology to monitor health
June 2024: People with neurological conditions, and their relatives/carers, attending the Anne Rowling Clinic support the use of digital technologies as an add-on to routine care.
There is now much discussion about incorporating digital technology into healthcare. Digital technology provides an opportunity to redesign patient-focused care and research, by collecting data from patients through Apps and wearable devices. This can provide closer monitoring to guide clinical care, as well as support research into disease progression and responses to treatment.
As part of our ongoing commitment to involving people with neurological conditions, and their relatives/carers, in the development of our care and research strategy, a team has undertaken a survey to explore the views of people attending the Anne Rowling Clinic regarding the use of digital technology to monitor their health.
People attending the Anne Rowling Clinic over a 10-month period were invited to complete a structured survey regarding their current use of technology to monitor health, and the potential barriers or benefits of this technology. 249 people completed the survey.
The survey found that 94% of respondents were able to use technology independently and 33% already use technology to monitor their health, mostly on smartphones, and to monitor physical activity. Of those who do not currently use technology to monitor their health, 91% would be interested in doing so in the future.
The most commonly perceived benefits were related to efficiency, ease of use and convenience. The most frequently noted barriers were complexity of the technology and data security.
Respondents were broadly supportive of the use of digital technology for healthcare purposes; however, they were less keen to focus on the potential of technology to reduce in-person clinical appointment. This indicates that respondents prefer that technology is used as an add-on to clinical care, rather than a replacement for in-person appointments.
The survey was undertaken primarily by Katie Reid, a former medical student, who was supervised by Prof Suvankar Pal. The work has been published in Journal of the Neurological Sciences.
Related links
Read the full report on the survey: Perceptions of digital technology use for monitoring health in people living with neurological disorders. DOI: 10/1016/j.jns.2024.123072