Katie Gilsenan, senior trends analyst at GlobalWebIndex, writes about what we can expect in 2020 after publication of its report.

Having an appointment with your doctor online will become as normal as making a payment on an app or booking a taxi through Uber. Why? Because technologies like AI and telehealth, among others, are solving problems in healthcare.

According to the World Health Organisation, global healthcare spending reached $7.5 trillion in 2016, representing 10% of global GDP. Growing and aging populations, as well as the increase in chronic diseases are among some of the top contributors to these statistics and as a result, hospitals and physicians are under immense strain.

But hope is on the horizon and consumers are ready for change. In the U.S. and UK, half say the ability to consult with a doctor by a phone or video call instead of an in-person visit would help them manage their health care more effectively.

While 55% said they haven’t tried it yet, they’d consider trying it in future. A further 13% said they’ve already tried it and would recommend to others. This shows the significant potential for “digital” doctors appointments.

Being able to communicate with doctors digitally is just one piece of the solution though. Digital tools like the ability to find doctors and make appointments online (51%), completing paperwork in advance of their appointment (49%), and the ability to order prescription refills via their smartphone (48%) are also crucial in helping consumers manage their health effectively. These technologies help to reduce the administrative burden felt by doctors and deliver a more streamlined, convenient experience for patients.

It’s time to take control of our health

Consumers are increasingly expecting the same digital experience in all aspects of their lives. We’re able to use our mobile phones for banking activities and shop online without stepping outside our front door, so why should healthcare be any different?

It’s important now more than ever to empower consumers to manage their own health. Our global research reveals 36% of consumers are using the internet to research health issues and healthcare products. In fact, 66% of 55-64s rely on online medicine information and recommendations.

Consumers also want greater access to their own health data. Half of consumers say the ability to access all of their health information online would be beneficial. Additionally, close to 70% of consumers are happy to have their health data stored and accessible through devices such as their smartphone.

This requires changing how we think about health data. Having a cloud-based, centralised and secure electronic health record is key in helping consumers actively engage in their own wellbeing. In this vein, Apple, Google and Microsoft are working towards giving patients access to historical health insurance claims from their everyday devices, providing users with more data portability and choice in how they access their own information. 

However, these companies have a significant hurdle to overcome: data privacy. The vast majority of consumers are comfortable sharing their data with their healthcare provider, but this dips significantly for big technology firms. We uncovered 39% of consumers don’t feel comfortable sharing their health data with technology firms, and a further 27% are unsure how they feel. In fact, consumers are actually more comfortable sharing their data with an AI research firm than a technology firm. Consumers are less likely to be familiar with an AI firm than a well-known tech brand so this highlights a significant trust issue.  

This poses considerable challenges for tech companies. So while these big tech companies are making considerable investments in healthcare (e.g. Google Acquiring Fitbit recently for $2.1 billion), the biggest issue will be securing consumer confidence to be able to deliver their ambitions. 

Did someone call for an AI doctor?

With AI and machine learning constantly advancing, areas like early diagnosis, precision surgery, and the development of new medicines are all made possible.

Unsurprisingly, consumers recognize the benefits of AI, and are mainly centered around AI’s ability to offer greater preventative care and create efficiencies for doctors. Among consumers who are familiar with AI, 52% said the ability for AI to detect hidden patterns humans might miss is a key advantage. This was followed by the ability for AI to free up doctors’ valuable time by automating routine tasks.

While AI has the potential to reduce the pressure on overworked doctors, predict illnesses and diseases earlier, and reduce the rate of human errors that are widespread in the healthcare industry, implementing AI also comes with its own set of challenges. In reality, AI isn’t easy to apply on a wide scale as it’s complex and costly, and requires hospitals to have the necessary infrastructure and training in place.

AI and machine learning requires huge amounts of data to learn and improve, so ensuring patient privacy is fundamental. Close to half of consumers worry doctors might become too dependent on AI and have concerns with the accuracy of AI, such as providing patients with incorrect information.

While consumers’ concerns with AI are valid, it’s important to note that AI isn’t expected to go it alone. With the appropriate applications across healthcare, AI might have the power to free up doctors’ time when it comes to administrative tasks and perform greater precision surgeries, but it will always need some form of human input.

In an ideal world, AI and humans will work together and complement each other, and that’s where we’ll really see the capabilities of healthtech shine.