Nearly nine out of ten Scots believe smart technologies will enhance healthcare delivery

Nearly nine out of ten Scots believe Internet of Things (IoT) and smart technologies will enhance healthcare delivery, according to new research.

The survey, commissioned by Capita for the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN), of 2,000 Scots, found that 84 per cent of Scots said their decision on where to live would be influenced by access to digital healthcare services, such as video appointments with a GP.

It found 47 per cent would use a video link (e.g. Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp) to speak to a healthcare professional, 20 per cent would use a virtual reality nurse or doctor and 17 per cent would use a smart assistant/speaker.

The survey found 62 per cent would like to use smart devices, 46 per cent smart furniture, 36 per cent an ingestible pill (medication with a tiny sensor that can transmit data to a healthcare professional), and 22 per cent would use a nursing robot.

But while 88 per cent of respondents said they believed IoT and smart technologies will enhance healthcare provision, 25 per cent of all Scottish citizens would not use digital technology at all to contact a healthcare professional, rising to 34 per cent in the Highlands.

NHS Highland innovation consultant Alan Whiteside said: “NHS Highland is keen to explore the clinical and non-clinical applications from enabling technologies – but research shows expectations around what technology can deliver are far lower in the region than the national average. This is not surprising, considering that in some Highland areas, residents struggle to even get 2G network reception.

“However, through IoT and smart devices, we can identify deterioration in health earlier which helps shift healthcare delivery from being infrequent and reactive to frequent and preventative. As technology continues to develop, we have a great opportunity to develop disruptive healthcare services in the Highlands that could also help enhance healthcare in other regions of Scotland.”

The SWAN programme was set up to establish a single shared network and common ICT infrastructure across Scotland’s entire public sector.