The American Medical Association has conducted digital health research on physicians’ motivations and key requirements for adopting digital health tools. According to the research, nine out of 10 physician believe digital health tools are beneficial for patient care.
In this year’s survey, the AMA compared physician responses from 2016 and 2019 with their answers in this year’s survey. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of digital health, particularly telemedicine, exploded. This research marks the first time the questions have been asked after the pandemic.
“The AMA survey illustrates the importance physicians place on validated digital health tools that improve health while streamlining the technological and administrative burdens faced each day in medicine. These technologies also must be designed and deployed in ways that advance health equity,” said AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., MD.
Digital health tools are viewed as beneficial by more physicians
- Digital health tools are now viewed as an advantage by 93% of physicians, up from 85% in 2016.
- The share of physicians who believe using digital tools has advantages increased across all ages and specialties.
- Over 50-year-olds experienced the greatest growth. Digital health tools were perceived as beneficial by 80% of this age group in 2016, but by 90% in 2022.
Digital tools are being adopted by physicians in greater numbers than ever before
- Physicians today use an average of 3.8 digital tools. The number of tools used in 2016 was 2.2.
- Physicians of all genders, specialties, years of experience, or ages experienced similar increases.
- More physicians adopted digital tools due to improved clinical outcomes and work efficiency.
- With 76% of respondents saying it was important in 2022, up from 66% in 2016, using a digital tool to reduce stress and burnout has become a key driver of digital tool adoption.
Physicians’ use of televisits and remote monitoring has grown most
- Televisits were used by 80% of physicians in 2022, nearly triple from just 14% in 2016.
- Remote monitoring devices were used by 30% of physicians in 2022, up from 12% in 2016 and nearly double from where they were in 2019.
- A significant motivator for physicians to adopt digital tools in 2022 was the ability to provide remote care to patients