The Netherlands lags behind other countries in the use of digital health technology. Think of mobile apps and activity trackers that count steps and calories or measure blood pressure.
This is according to Philips' annual Future Health Index survey. The Dutch are 15 times less likely to measure health indicators using digital health technology or mobile health apps. For example, 21% of Dutch people regularly or always measure their physical activity, compared with 23% in Europe and 29% worldwide. 19% of Dutch people regularly measure his or weight, compared to 20% in Europe and 25% globally.
A similar picture is visible with blood pressure and heart rate. For instance, 15% of Dutch people regularly measure their blood pressure, compared to 17% of Europeans and 20% worldwide. 10% measure their heart rate, compared to 14% on average among Europeans and 19% worldwide.
Reliability difficult to estimate
A major barrier to the use of digital health technology is data reliability. For example, 68% of Dutch people say they find it difficult to assess the reliability of information. Collected insights are therefore only shared with the GP or treated doctor to a limited extent, which means that these insights are not fully utilised. The researchers call this indicative of how the deployment of digital technology in healthcare is viewed in the Netherlands.
It is also striking that a third of respondents who never measure health indicators using digital technology or mobile apps indicate that nothing will lead them to do so in the future. Philips therefore concludes that the Dutch are excessively resistant to embracing new technologies.
Dutch share little data
Also striking is that Dutch patients share relatively little data with doctors. For instance, 60% of Dutch respondents indicated that no patients share data on a regular basis, compared to 51% in Europe and 42% worldwide. Also, 48% of Dutch respondents state that they do not currently use big data to improve patient care.
"Together, we face the challenge of keeping healthcare affordable and accessible for everyone. Digital healthcare technology and an open dialogue based on the resulting insights between patient and doctor are important in this," says Henk Valk, CEO of Philips Benelux. Valk calls technological innovation in healthcare not optional, but necessary.
Need for change lacks urgency
It also appears that the need for change is perceived as less urgent in the Netherlands than in other countries. According to Philips, this can be explained by the fact that Dutch people are on average healthier and happier than residents of other countries. However, Valk nevertheless stresses the importance of innovation for healthcare. "Increasing the adoption rate of digital healthcare technology plays an important role in making the Dutch healthcare system future-proof. As an industry, it is up to us to support this with the partnerships, new business models, and change management needed to enable the digital transformation of healthcare."
Philips calls for more research to raise awareness of the benefits of digital health technologies and encourage wider use of such technology among Dutch citizens. GPs and treating physicians can play a role here, according to the company. For instance, the study shows that Dutch people are more willing to use digital technology if recommended by healthcare professionals. However, relatively few Dutch healthcare professionals already do this.
Role for health insurers
In addition, health insurers can play an important role in facilitating the implementation of digital healthcare technology. For example, 74% of respondents state that insurers should make broader reimbursements available to patients and healthcare providers. 55% state that they can provide insight into available financial resources to fund healthcare transformations. 39% state that health insurers can offer a basic range of technology to help healthcare providers transform.
Nevertheless, cooperation between health insurers and healthcare professionals is currently limited. For example, 39% say they do not currently collaborate with insurers on digital healthcare technology. 11% do, while 16% are in talks on the subject.
More information can be found in the Future Health Index.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
