More than 60 percent are in doubt about the reliability of health-related mobile applications, according to a recent online survey. (Photo : Reuters)
An online survey conducted by the portal China News Service (CNS) showed that over 60 percent have doubts about health-related mobile applications despite the sector seeing increase in investment growth.
The CNS survey stated that less than 30 percent have full trust on mobile-based medical services. Meanwhile, 60.5 percent have a "wait and see" attitude toward the technological innovation.
Of the respondents, 11.6 percent remarked that they have no belief in such application-based service at all.
The recent figures can be compared with an earlier survey conducted by the market research firm Data 100, which stated that only 15.2 percent of the populace rely on smartphone and tablet applications offering medical services.
According to the Data 100 poll, around 60.9 percent are anxious about the possible breaches in privacy, while another large 57.1 percent doubt the doctors' credibility.
Nonetheless, the CNS survey also showed that approximately 23.9 percent of the respondents welcome the registration requirement featured in health apps. Another 21.2 percent said that they are appreciative of the access in medical knowledge.
Nearly 19 percent stated that through such innovation, they are able to better understand their health status and medical conditions.
There is an estimated over 2,000 health apps available in the mobile market in China to date. These are categorized into five kinds, namely e-commerce of health supplies, Q&A between doctors and patients, hospital registration, information for professionals, and consultation and rating.
The medical market is expected to open further in the future, remarked Liu Fan, the director of the Peking University's People's Hospital Information Center, adding that it is best for such apps to improve market segmentations.
Liu also called for doctors and patients to reduce the tension between them. He also urged for the government's regulation of the medical services provided via mobile gadgets.
