Aging, empathy, and the Internet of Things : a measure of physician readiness to treat older adults

Abstract

Aging is an increasingly disruptive force in the US -- nearly 1 in 5 Americans will be at least 65 years old by 2030. Largely due to the high incidence of chronic disease among older adults, health care spending is larger in magnitude for older adults than it is for any other age group. To treat older adults and reduce the prevalence of chronic disease more effectively and efficiently, health professionals may likely incorporate patient-generated health data (PGHD) from the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT devices can help providers to evaluate treatment options, compliance, and overall patient well-being. Critics of PGHD integration in the health care space cite challenges such as poor interoperability of devices and electronic health record systems, a lack of standards, a host of liability concerns, workflow interruptions, and a lack of reimbursement models. There is little research, however, that explores how the inclusion and analysis of PGHD may affect provider empathy and the physician-patient relationship. We were interested in understanding how the integration of wearables, smart devices, and other connected health devices would affect the physician-patient (or provider-patient) relationship and how those changes might affect both providers and patient health and well-being. We conducted two surveys, one of health care providers and one of patients, to understand current and expected uses of connected health devices to examine how the collection and analysis of PGHD will affect provider empathy and the physician-patient relationship. We subsequently examine across different age groups, how the provision of health care and individual health management is projected to change as a result of PGHD analysis. Finally, we evaluate the socio-technical barriers to connected health devices and discuss the entities which could successfully mitigate these barriers, as perceived by health care providers and patients.