They’re probably still sweeping up after this week’s Digital Health Summit. But the happy honeymoon phase didn’t last long. Vitals is unleashing a report that rains on that parade, noting Americans are unhealthier than the previous year, and no one is using your health apps.
Unfortunately, the line at McDonalds is still longer than the line toward consumer-driven healthcare.
The incidences of lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart disease and diabetes are increasing, and it’s not just in the older generation – younger people are having a hard time staying healthy too. Vitals reports that one in four Americans say they are less healthy this year compared to last.
People aren’t afraid to admit it either – 63 percent of American workers say they don’t get enough exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and 47 percent say they don’t eat as nutritiously as they should.
Apparently it’s really not an issue about health education either because only 3 percent said it was because of a lack of health knowledge – which leads us to the undeniable fact that health apps are definitely not a hot commodity.
Not hot like a juicy cheeseburger.
The report states that 80 percent of Americans have never used a smartphone app for health or fitness. But I bet chances are high that most of them have apps to find the nearest restaurant or bar.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Even when large companies provide wellness programs for their employes, only 27 percent take part.
“Clearly, there’s more that can be done to encourage employees to take an active role in improving their health,” said Mitch Rothschild, CEO of Vitals. “Companies should carefully survey employees to make sure their wellness programs align with their worker’s goals and implement incentive programs to keep up motivation and promote participation.”
Unfortunately, for Americans, it seems that healthcare incentives actually sound more like the nagging voice of a frustrated mother trying to get her kids to eat their vegetables.
Photo from Flickr user James]
