People are the heart of healthcare

So, too, will digital health records, which in addition to making people more proactive in taking care of their health, also fosters greater collaboration between patients and healthcare professionals: 84% of individuals with access to their records wanted their healthcare professionals to have access to it too.

Healthcare professionals agreed that this collaboration was a constructive step forward, with 58% noting that patients having access to their own health data had positively affected their experience in the last five years.

Using lessons from forerunners to put people at the heart of healthcare

These examples show the massive potential for digital health technologies to improve how people experience healthcare. It will, however, take time before the full extent of these benefits are felt, and our research showed that South Africa can learn valuable lessons from other emerging economies such as China, India and Saudi Arabia, which are leapfrogging many of the same challenges that this country currently faces.

Individuals in India, China, and Saudi Arabia who use digital health technology or mobile apps, for instance, reported that the information they receive from their digital health technology or mobile apps led them to contact a healthcare professional.

South Africa falls below the 15-country average (46%) in terms of individuals tracking their own health indicators, so increasing not only the adoption, but also the utilisation of digital health technology among South African individuals could empower patients to adopt a more proactive attitude toward health management.

Ultimately, this year’s Future Health Index report highlights that health and healthcare is all about people, but that technology can and will continue to play a critical role in accelerating positive change in healthcare.