A study conducted by global management consulting firm Accenture found that 62 percent of seniors said the top reason they use the Internet is to find health information, and 60 percent were likely to turn to online communities such as PatientsLikeMe to obtain reactions to a physician’s recommendation before acting on it, according to Senior Housing News.
Seniors were also open to using self-care technology to independently manage their health — two thirds of the 11,000 respondents said they would prefer it. Providing methods for more seniors to live at home and receive remote services could reduce costs and alleviate the need for more senior housing as the population ages, according to the report.
“The demand for healthcare technology is already here,” Kaveh Safavi, MD, who leads Accenture’s global health business, told Senior Housing News. “As products and services continue to become available that support independent living — such as telehealth and health-monitoring apps — the demand will only continue to grow for new and improved solutions.”
