Would you be comfortable receiving a text message with your blood test results? What if the text message was about a new medication or remedy for whatever ails you? The majority of the population wouldn't be willing to get their information this way, according to a Pricewaterhouse Coopers report, but some (perhaps the Millennials) would be happy to get it via their smartphone.
Most people, however, would rather receive their health-care information via the Internet, according to Top 10 health industry issues in 2010: Squeezing the juice out of healthcare - possibly because viewing is a bit more controlled, versus a text message that can pop up at any time of the day or night.
Whether it happens via cell phone or e-mail, what could this increased access to our health information outside physicians' offices and hospitals ultimately mean?
The primary implication is engagement: When patients are engaged in their health status, especially when there is chronic illness such as diabetes, disease management and home health care will likely improve.
An engaged patient + constant feedback on his health = a healthier patient. Right?