With most disruptive technologies, the early adopters tend to be those who are ill-served by existing provision or not served at all. mHealth is no exception. The two types of patients in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s survey most attracted by its products and services are those with poorly managed chronic diseases and those who pay more than 30% of their household income towards healthcare. Both groups are better informed about mHealth, are much more likely to be using such applications and services already, and are noticeably more willing to pay for them (see chart 7). They are, however, also more likely to abandon these applications and services within the first six months. This suggests that greater attention to efficacy data for mHealth is urgently needed—not just to improve return on investment but also to protect the potentially vulnerable from electronic quackery.
Early adopters: driven or desperate
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