Accenture 2016 Patient Engagement Study Result

1. Healthcare consumers in the United States
want a digitally enabled care experience, and
they are initiating it with greater use of digital
tools and electronic health records.
PATIENTS WANT A
HEAVY DOSE OF DIGITAL

2. The patient experience is going digital, and
consumers are leading the way by accessing
electronic health records (EHRs) and using
digital tools, such as wearables and apps, to
manage their health. Patients have firm beliefs
about who should access their data—but
providers don’t always agree.
To improve patient engagement and customer
satisfaction, healthcare organizations must close
the gap between what patients demand and
what providers deliver by investing in digital
tools and strategies.
Healthcare consumers
are taking control
of their data
01

3. Source: Accenture 2016
Lab work and blood test results 48%
24%
Prescription medication history 44%
23%
Immunization status 37%
16%
Personal profile information
(ie. demographics)
36%
15%
Billing information 35%
18%
Physician notes from visits/condition 33%
15%
X-rays or nuclear imaging results 29%
13%
I do not know what information 35%
61%
Lab work and blood results 41%
Physician notes from visits/condition 24%
Prescription medication history 9%
Billing information 5%
X-rays or nuclear imaging results 5%
Immunization status 5%
Personal profile information
(ie. demographics)
5%
None of the above 6%
?
?
Top Users
(Ages 65-74)
Least Users
(Ages 18-34)
20162014 38% 22%
45%
VS
2014 2016
����������27%
Compared to two years ago, healthcare consumers know more about what data they can access in
their EHR. In 2016, 65% with EHRs said they know what data they have access to in their EHR vs.
39% in 2014. However, 35% still don’t know what information they can access (see Figure 3).
Interestingly, those patients who have accessed their EHR are doing so to stay informed (41%),
but not for help with making medical decisions (6%). Among consumers who know what
information they have access to, 41% say accessing lab work and blood test results is most
helpful for managing health, while 24% say having physician notes is most helpful (see Figure 4).
FIGURE 1.
More US consumers with electronic health
records are accessing their records
FIGURE 2.
Health technology users age 65-74
are most likely to have turned to their
EHRs to manage health
FIGURE 3.
Consumers know more about what
data they can access in their EHR
FIGURE 4.
Data that patients with EHRs find
most helpful to health management
More US consumers with EHRs are accessing their records, 45% in 2016 vs. 27% in 2014
(see Figure 1). Health technology users age 65-74 are most likely to have turned to their
EHRs to manage their health (38% did so in 2016 vs. 22% of those 18-34) (see Figure 2).
Consumers of all ages are accessing their EHR, and they know more
about the data that is available to them than two years ago

4. Most (92%) patients believe they should have
full access to their records, while only 18%
of physicians share this belief. Interestingly,
about half (49%) of patients believe they have
full access (see Figure 5). The perception gap
about EHR access has widened in the past two
years, a 42% decline in physicians and a 10%
rise in patients.
Doctors and consumers
don’t always agree on
what a patient should
access in his/her EHR
02

5. �������������� �������
My primary doctor 75%
67%
55%
52%
51%
32%
30%
28%
Me
My other doctors/specialists
My pharmacy
Doctors/Specialists performing
procedure in other country
Hospitals I visit
Urgent care centers I visit
Anyone I give permission to
22%Family members
20%Caregiver
9%Retail clinics I visit
8%
An overseas health expert
performing clinical analysis
3%My employer
3%The government
Demographics
Demographic
Information
Medical History Symptoms
86%
95%
83%
90% 89% 93%
87%
83% 86%
84%
Personal
Medical History
Family
Medical History
New
Symptoms
Change in
Symptoms
Consumers Doctors
?
No AccessLimited AccessFull Access
DoctorsConsumers
92%
7%
1%
18%74%
7%
49%27%
24%
Source: Accenture 2016
Most (77%) patients who favor patient access want to see exactly what the doctor sees—
not a summary. They also want the ability to update their records, such as with their
demographic information (86%), family medical history (89%) and new symptoms (87%).
Healthcare consumers and doctors are in agreement that patients should be able to update
most information in his/her EHR (see Figure 6).
Consumers have strong views on who should access their EHR data. They view their EHR as a
tool for their primary doctor (75%) or themselves (67%), not to be accessed by others, unless
they provide permission (52%). Very few (3%) consumers believe their employer, government
(3%) or a retail clinic (9%) should be able to access their health record (see Figure 7).
Level of access a patient
should have to EHR
Level of access patients
believe they have access to
FIGURE 6.
Consumers and doctors agree that patients
should be able to update their EHR information
FIGURE 7.
Consumers view EHR primarily as a
tool for their doctors and themselves
FIGURE 5.
Most consumers think they should
have full access to their EHR

6. Use of health apps has doubled in the past
two years (33% in 2016 vs. 16% in 2014)
among consumers who use technology to
manage their health. Use of health
wearables has also doubled (21% in 2016 vs.
9% in 2014) (see Figure 8). The use of social
media has increased from 14% to 21%.
Consumers’ use of apps and
wearables has doubled, and
both doctors and patients
agree there are benefits
03

7. Mobile phone/
tablet app
Wearable
technology
��������������CONSUMERS DOCTORS
Has no effectHurtsHelps
Fitness Diet/
nutrition
52%
Symptom
navigator
36%
Patient
portal app
28%
Health/
condition
tracker
25%
Medication
tracker/
reminder/
manager
12%
Chronic
condition/
disease
management
10%
85%
3%12%
77 %
4%
19%
59%
20162014
�����21%
�����
�����9%
16%
�����33%
Source: Accenture 2016
Individuals aged 18-34 are the most prevalent users of both apps (48%) and
wearables (26%). The most popular among all app users are Fitness (59%) and
Diet/Nutrition (52%) apps (see Figure 9).
Both US consumers (77%) and doctors (85%) agree that using wearables helps a
patient engage in their health (see Figure 10).
FIGURE 8.
Use of health apps and wearables has doubled in the
past two years among health technology users
FIGURE 10.
Consumers and doctors agree that using
wearables helps patient engagement
Engagement with own health
FIGURE 9.
The most popular health apps are
Fitness and Diet/Nutrition

8. 04
The majority (78%) of healthcare consumers wear or
are willing to wear technology to track their lifestyle
and/or vital signs (see Figure 11). Of consumers who
were asked by a doctor to wear technology to track their
fitness and lifestyle (18%) or vital signs (19%), roughly
three-fourths (76%) of patients followed the physician’s
recommendation (see Figure 12).
Most consumers are willing to share wearable or app
data with a doctor (90%) or nurse (87%)—and 40% of
health app users have already done so. Willingness to
share wearable or app data drops when it comes to
health plans (63%) or employers (31%)
(see Figure 13).
Consumers are willing to
track their health using digital
tools, and share the datawith
healthcare professionals

9. 15% 12%
Vital signs
(only)
51%
BothFitness and
lifestyle (only)
Doctor
90%
Nurse/
Other HCP
87%
Friend/
Family
Member
72%
Health
Insurance
Plan
63%
Online
community/
Other app users
38%
Employer
31%
Yes, 76%
78%
No, 24%
Source: Accenture 2016
Willingness to wear health technology can also offer data to be used in
virtual visits—visits that are increasing in popularity due to convenience
and cost advantages
Healthcare consumers and US doctors agree that virtual visits offer lower costs (58%
of consumers vs. 62% of doctors) and convenience (52% consumers vs. 80% doctors) for
patients, but patients perceive quality of care as a main advantage of in-person visits.
Twenty-nine percent of healthcare consumers now say they prefer remote to in-person
visits, a small increase from 23% in 2014.
FIGURE 11.
Most US consumers wear, or would be willing to
wear, technology for health-tracking
FIGURE 13.
Most consumers are willing to share wearable
or app data with a doctor or nurse
FIGURE 12.
When recommended by a doctor,
3 in 4 consumers followed advice to wear
technology to track health

10. Consumers’ speed of digital adoption in the past two years is
significant, illustrating that patients are leading the way in using
digital tools to manage their health. Access to EHRs is increasing
significantly, however there is a gap between physician and
patient expectations on the level of access to this information.
There is an opportunity for physicians to increase the level of
transparency and improve communications with patients.
Providers that invest in digital tools and develop strategies to
adapt to consumers’ expectations will close the gap between
what patients demand, and what providers deliver.
PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE
BY CLOSING THE GAP

11. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-accen-
ture-doc-
tors-survey-2015-healthcare-it-pain-progress.aspx https://twitter.com/AccentureHealth?ref_src=tws-
rc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
For more information:
Kaveh Safavi, M.D., J.D.
kaveh.t.safavi@accenture.com
Rick Ratliff
richard.ratliff@accenture.com
Kip Webb, M.D., M.P.H.
kip.webb@accenture.com
Linda MacCracken
linda.maccracken@accenture.com
Accenture 2016
Consumer Survey
on Patient Engagement
Accenture commissioned a seven-country
survey of 7,840 consumers ages 18+ to assess
their attitudes toward health, the healthcare
system, electronic health records, healthcare
technology and their healthcare providers’
electronic capabilities. The online survey
included consumers across seven countries:
Australia (1013), Brazil (1006), England (1009),
Norway (800), Saudi Arabia (852), Singapore
(935) and the United States (2225). The survey
was conducted by Nielsen on behalf of
Accenture between November 2015 and
January 2016. The analysis provided
comparisons by country, sector, age and use.
Where relevant, the survey uses select findings
from the 2016 Accenture Doctors Survey to
compare the doctor and consumer responses.
* Numbers in the figures may not add to 100%
due to rounding.
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