How Communications and Healthcare Technologies Empower Patients [#Infographic]

The doctor-patient relationship has changed significantly over the years, shaped in part by emerging technology trends.

Widespread use of online communications tools plays a key role in this shift. According to a 2015 infographic from CDW, 53 percent of patients say telemedicine — or video conferencing — “somewhat” or “significantly” increased their involvement in their own treatment decisions.

Although video conferencing doesn’t yet rank among patients’ preferred methods for communicating with healthcare professionals, the infographic shows that 64 percent of Americans would be willing to hold a video consultation with a doctor.

Patients also use technology to communicate with each other. Data gathered for the CDW infographic indicates that nearly half of U.S. adults search for health information through social media. And the practice may actually be impacting healthcare — according to the infographic, 60 percent of doctors believe social media improves the quality of patient care.

Check out the full CDW infographic below for more insights into how technology trends are empowering patients and remaking healthcare.