Most people in the UK already monitor their own health and wellbeing, and an overwhelming majority would be happy to do more if advised by the NHS, according to a new University of Manchester led study.<\/p>\n
In a survey of 4,270 adults from across the UK, the researchers found that 79% had already used some form of self-monitoring, ranging from tracking blood pressure and blood sugar to monitoring fitness, diet, eyesight, hearing and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n
Published in the journal Archives of Public Health, the findings suggest self-monitoring could play a major role in helping people spot health problems earlier and take greater control of their wellbeing.<\/p>\n
The study was part-funded by a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator award to lead researcher Professor Kevin Munro and was supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Manchester\u2019s Hearing Health Theme.<\/p>\n
The results chime with the Governments aspirations for health monitoring technologies to be part of routine care to support proactive health monitoring and preventative action.<\/p>\n
The study also found that 86% of respondents would be willing to monitor at least one aspect of their health if recommended by the NHS.<\/p>\n
Trust in the technology was high, with between 70% and 94% of participants saying they trusted the results produced by self-monitoring tools.<\/p>\n
More than three-quarters (78%) said they would be happy for their results to be sent automatically to their GP.<\/p>\n
The researchers say the findings highlight growing public support for a future in which patients can play a more active role in managing their health from home.<\/p>\n
People who used self-monitoring said the main benefits included increased awareness of their health, a greater sense of control, easier access to information, more balanced conversations with healthcare professionals and improved psychological support.<\/p>\n
However, the study also revealed that participants reported concerns including anxiety, obsessive testing, confusion about results, poor motivation to continue monitoring and worries about technology.<\/p>\n
And between 14% and 38% of people said they would take no action if self-monitoring identified a potential problem, depending on the health issue being monitored.<\/p>\n
Younger adults and people with higher levels of education were more likely to use self-monitoring, while men, older adults, those living in deprived areas and people with lower education levels were less willing to do so.<\/p>\n
The researchers say these differences risk creating new health inequalities if self-monitoring becomes a larger part of healthcare in the future.<\/p>\n
Lead researcher Professor Kevin Munro from The University of Manchester \u00a0said: “Our findings show that self-monitoring of health is already a normal part of life for many people across the UK and that there is strong public enthusiasm for doing more of it in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelf-monitoring has huge potential to support earlier detection of problems, encourage preventative action and help people take greater control of their health.”<\/p>\n
\nHowever, we must ensure that nobody is left behind and that these technologies are introduced in ways that are accessible, understandable and equitable for all sections of society. Nevertheless, self-monitoring could help transform healthcare through more proactive and preventative approaches though \u00a0further research is needed to ensure it can be used effectively and fairly alongside traditional clinical care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin Munro, Professor and Senior Investigator, NIHR\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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