Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 07:13 am
New research has found that 89% of patients want the NHS to create mobile apps that make their hospital experience better.
The study by Apadmi Enterprise, a leading mobile application and technology developer, discovered that most patients want an app to help manage their healthcare and improve communication between themselves and healthcare professionals.
The majority of patients (76%) said they would like to use a mobile app to manage hospital appointments, such as booking, cancelling or confirming an appointment. And over half (55%) would want an app to store their prescriptions.
Patients claim the lack of hospital information currently available, particularly around parking, is one of their biggest bug bears (59%), which explains why two thirds (66%) want the NHS to develop a mobile app that can assist with this kind of information.
Technology that empowers patients with regards to their own healthcare is also another key consideration. 45% would like an app to help access their healthcare records so they can make better decisions about their health and 43% said they would want to use an app that helped them to manage their own illness – such as tracking their medications, or keeping a food diary.
At present, the healthcare sector is clearly behind in comparison to other industries that are already using apps to improve processes as over half (55%) of patients claimed they have never used mobile app technology to engage with the NHS ahead of, or during a hospital visit.
The research forms part of a report called ‘How can mobile application technology change the way patients engage with healthcare organisations?’. The aim is to give healthcare professionals valuable insight into what patients want and expect from mobile technology in the healthcare sector.
Matt Hunt, CEO of Apadmi Enterprise, said: “Mobile technology has huge potential to transform the way healthcare is provided and accessed in the UK. New apps and services will allow healthcare professionals to better serve their patients, as well as enable people to be more proactive in managing their own health and well-being.
“When it comes to hospitals, there is a clear need to improve patient engagement and communication, and our research highlights that focus needs to be around providing regular updates so patients feel informed during the entire visit, as well as offering greater access to patient information so they feel empowered to manage their own health too.
“But while it’s clear that mobile app adoption in hospitals is still in its infancy, our research demonstrates that there is a strong demand from patients for this kind of tech to be implemented. Organisations will undoubtedly need help managing utilisation, streamlining processes and handling the vast amounts of data that will be stored or generated. But it seems there is no better time for healthcare organisations to seize the opportunities of mobile app technology to take advantage of greater efficiencies and better patient outcomes.”
For the full report, please visit http://www.apadmi.com/enterprise-healthcare-report-press
