Providers and consumers alike are testing the capabilities of digital health, but a study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research suggests consumers are more enthusiastic about emerging medical technology than providers.
Researchers conducted a survey collecting responses from more than 1,400 healthcare providers and more than 1,100 consumers.
While nearly 40 percent of consumers said they preferred new technologies for a medical diagnosis, just 14 percent of providers said the same. Conversely, providers were more likely than consumers to have reservations about using technology for diagnoses, at 28 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
Both groups did express support for genetic testing for numerous purposes. For example, 88 percent of providers said they support genetic testing when planning to have a baby, as did 73 percent of consumers.
However, the majority of providers (90 percent) thought patients would experience anxiety after accessing health records, while just 34 percent of patients thought the same.
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