Half of Americans find the vision of a digital health-filled future 'exciting': 3 notes

Andrea Park -

When asked to imagine a future in which patients rely on digital tools that keep them at the center of their own healthcare, almost 50 percent of the American workers surveyed in a recent Mercer report found the vision "appealing."

Three more takeaways from the report, which Mercer compiled along with consulting firm Oliver Wyman:

1. Of the more than 16,600 respondents, more than 60 percent found the digitally enhanced, highly personalized future of healthcare — powered by artificial intelligence, chatbots, wearables and smartphones — believable, and 49 percent said the vision was exciting.

2. Only 37 percent of the workers surveyed found the idea "disturbing." Those who expressed concerns cited artificial intelligence, and data protection and privacy as the most negative aspects of the vision.

3. On the other hand, when asked which aspects of digital healthcare are most appealing, respondents cited its affordability, convenience, customizability and overall effectiveness.

"Workers are cautiously optimistic that there is something to digital health, with a healthy majority finding the statement credible. Still, there are mixed reactions to how positive it really will be," Sam Glick, a partner in the health and life sciences division of Oliver Wyman, said in the report. "The data tells us that employees are open to digital health, but how they react over the next several years depends heavily on the stories we tell (including the positives of using AI!) and the effectiveness of execution (game over if we lose your data)."

View the full report here.

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