Canadians Believe 'Connected Care Technology' is Important to the Future of Healthcare, Philips Future Health Index Reveals

• Canadians have trust in healthcare system; 64% general population, 80% healthcare professionals
• While almost 80% of Canadians believe they have access to treatment that helps prevent illness or disease (77%), only half believe they have access to resources for home care (51%), and even fewer healthcare professionals (40%) believe home care is accessible
• 'Connected care technology' is thought to have a role in improving care across the healthcare continuum and addressing some of the biggest healthcare challenges, though doctors and patients don't believe this is happening yet

MARKHAM, ON, May 18, 2017 /CNW/ - Connected care technology, like remote blood and heart monitors, mobile health apps and wearable fitness devices, is seen as a way to improve care across the continuum and enable the population to take better control of their health, according to a comprehensive healthcare study across 19 countries conducted by Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA).

Connected care technology, including secure sharing of patient data between healthcare professionals and hospitals, is seen as important to improving care across the full healthcare continuum, according to survey respondents. In particular, healthcare professionals and the general public put an overwhelming importance on it for improving treatment of medical issues (94% and 83%), diagnosis of medical conditions (87% and 82%) and home care services (82% and 78%).

"The healthcare challenges we face in Canada are real and imminent," said Iain Burns, CEO of Philips Canada. "With an aging population, rise in chronic diseases and continually escalating costs, innovative solutions such as connected care technology are crucial to help healthcare providers manage costs while improving patient care and outcomes."

One particular healthcare challenge that Canadians feel connected care can address is home care. Only half (51%) of the general population and 40 per cent of healthcare professionals believe Canadians have access to resources needed for home care. Among the general population, following diagnosis, connected care technologies are seen to be most beneficial to home care (38%). Healthcare professionals believe connected care technology can most benefit home care (60%), as 54 per cent believe that connected care technologies can improve long term management and tracking of health issues as part of home care.

Around four in five Canadians (79%) and healthcare professionals (83%) believe it is important that the healthcare system in Canada is integrated, while only 21 per cent of healthcare professionals and 27 per cent of the general population believe it actually is. To healthcare professionals, having accessible, secure information sharing platforms between healthcare professionals is thought to have the most positive impact on Canadians taking care of their health.

"We're going to see a massive improvement in the healthcare system when healthcare is integrated – from prevention to diagnosis to treatment," said Burns. "That means all the remote monitors, healthcare professionals and medical departments are connected and sharing information and data on an individual's health. Philips is committed to working with partners like Mackenzie Health in Ontario to create efficiency and put technology in place that can help bridge the information gap and deliver enhanced patient outcomes at lower costs."

Despite the interest in connected care technologies, Canadians and healthcare professionals believe it's not often incorporated across the health continuum, and less than half of healthcare professionals (46%) and just two in 10 Canadians (22%) say they are knowledgeable about connected care technologies.

"Connected care is critical to effectively manage a person's health, both inside the hospital and at home," said Altaf Stationwala, President and CEO of Mackenzie Health. "As exemplified in the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, the future of healthcare lies in connected care. Smart hospitals optimize available medical technology and interoperability to share data from one episode of care to another improving clinical outcomes for patients both inside the hospital and within communities."

The survey also found:

• Canadians believe in the Canadian healthcare system, with 61 per cent saying it meets their needs, and more than six in ten (64%) saying they trust the healthcare system.
• Almost all Canadians – 92 per cent – would rather be healthy than rich.
• Canadians say they stay healthy through preventive measures such as eating healthy (73%) and exercising regularly (58%), though few (approximately 20 per cent) use a health-related smartphone app or use a wearable device, like a fitness tracker.
• Both the general population (52%) and healthcare professionals (58%) believe that the majority of healthcare professionals' time and resources overall should be dedicated to preventive care.
• However, the majority of healthcare professionals and the general population believe the federal healthcare budget should be spent on sick care (61% and 55% of the budget according to healthcare professionals and the general population respectively) over preventive measures (39% and 44% of the budget respectively).

For the complete results and research methodology, visit www.futurehealthindex.com/.

About the Future Health Index

The findings above are part of the Future Health Index, the second annual international study of consumers and healthcare providers that examines views on healthcare quality and integration, and connected care technologies. The Future Health Index results highlight the gap between Canadians' interest in using connected care and perceptions of how it is implemented in Canada.

Future Health Index Methodology

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About Mackenzie Health

Mackenzie Health is a dynamic regional healthcare provider serving a population of more than a half million people across Southwest York Region and beyond. Nationally recognized for its commitment to safety and quality patient care, Mackenzie Health is a healthcare leader.  Mackenzie Health includes Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, as well as a comprehensive network of community-based services in Richmond Hill, Vaughan and the surrounding communities. Mackenzie Health's vision is to create a world-class health experience. This means delivering quality, compassionate and timely patient-centered care. Further information about Mackenzie Health can be found at www.mackenziehealth.ca

SOURCE Royal Philips