Dr. Gigi Osler of the Canadian Medical Association provides insight on a recent survey showing Millennials are using the health care system more to take care of their wellness.
Young Canadians are leading a transformation in the health care system that will see a greater reliance on technology, a survey commissioned by the Canadian Medical Association suggests.
The Ipsos survey, released Tuesday, shows that young adults aged 18 to 34 are frequent users of the health-care system, reporting an average of at least 11 visits to a physician each year, as well as being the most eager adopters of technology to manage their own health.
“I think this generation that they’re calling the Google Generation is already very comfortable with technology,” Dr. Gigi Osler, incoming president of the 85,000-member CMA, said from Winnipeg.
“They have grown up with it, they’ve grown up using it and hence are more comfortable seeing more technology in the health-care system, more technology use as part of their own personal health care,” said Osler, an ear, nose and throat specialist.
“They’re about wellness care, not just sick care.”
The survey found respondents among the Google Generation would be more likely to take advantage of virtual doctor visits – 47 per cent would opt for at least half of their visits being virtual, compared to 38 per cent of those aged 35 to 54 and 31 per cent of those 55-plus.
These young adults are more likely than Canadians in the older age brackets to use wearable technology such as FitBits or to use online apps to monitor their health status – 44 per cent compared to 28 per cent and 14 per cent for the other age groups, respectively.
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Source: Global News