Do-it-yourself healthcare: the current landscape, prospects and consequences

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Healthcare Technology
• Consumer Health Informatics

Background:

• The increasing adoption of mobile health (mHealth) tools signifies a shift towards consumer-driven healthcare.
• This trend promotes greater patient involvement and decentralization in health management.
• mHealth tools enable self-monitoring and data collection, fostering empowered healthcare consumers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the concept and implications of 'do-it-yourself Healthcare' enabled by mHealth technologies.
• To assess the potential benefits and limitations of consumer-driven health management.
• To understand the evolving landscape of healthcare access and delivery.

Main Methods:

• Review of current evidence on mHealth tool availability and usage.
• Conceptual analysis of 'do-it-yourself Healthcare' models.
• Exploration of patient-centered care environments facilitated by technology.

Main Results:

• mHealth tools offer significant potential to enhance diagnostics, improve treatments, and increase service accessibility.
• Patient-collected data empowers individuals, leading to greater control over health and illness experiences.
• The evidence base for 'do-it-yourself Healthcare' requires further development to fully understand its motivations and consequences.

Conclusions:

• 'Do-it-yourself Healthcare' presents opportunities to improve healthcare quality and reduce costs, potentially enhancing health system sustainability.
• Further research is needed to develop a comprehensive model for understanding consumer engagement with mHealth.
• Future generations are expected to be more receptive to the integration of mHealth into mainstream healthcare.