TORONTO – While older Canadians are the most likely to benefit from digital health technology, they are also the least likely to adopt it, says a new study commissioned by Telus Health.
According to the survey, Canadians in the baby boomer (52+) and greatest generation (age 71+) categories reported they were the most likely to access a healthcare provider (78%). However, while 58% in this demographic agreed that digital health tools would help them connect with their healthcare provider, this group ranked the lowest to use them (20%). Further, Canadians 52+ are 10% less likely than younger generations to agree that digital technology empowers them to take control of their health.
While these findings highlight the need to educate and engage all Canadians on the role of digital health technologies, a supplementary survey of Canadian healthcare providers found that 89% of healthcare professionals agree that accessible, secure information sharing platforms between individuals and healthcare professionals would improve patient outcomes.
An animated video of the Telus Health Digital Life consumer survey findings is available here.
Other Telus Health developments announced this week include:
– More than 300,000 pharmacy customers are now using Pharma Space, Telus Health's online pharmacy service that offers reminders and automatic refills, and leads to improved patient medication adherence; and
– Telus Health has launched a new service called MedDialog, a national clinical solution that allows doctors to communicate electronically with other physicians regarding the care of their patients directly from their electronic medical record (EMR) systems.
