PATIENTS with Parkinson’s disease and immune-mediated inflammatory conditions are highly receptive to using digital health technologies in clinical research. New survey findings show that patients across age groups and conditions are prepared to integrate multiple digital tools into study protocols, provided that the technology is user friendly and not overly medical in appearance, and smartwatches emerged as the most favored devices.
In this survey, 492 individuals with Parkinson’s disease and 75 with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases were asked about their willingness to use wearable and mobile health devices in clinical trials. The majority of respondents, averaging 64 years of age among those with Parkinson’s disease and 58 years among those with inflammatory disease, indicated strong openness to digital health technology integration.
Overall, 93% of participants were willing to use at least two devices simultaneously during a study. Two-thirds reported readiness to engage with digital tools for six or more days after a clinic visit. Smartwatches stood out as the most popular choice, while more complex medical-grade technologies were viewed less favorably, underscoring the importance of device design and usability in patient acceptance.
The analysis also revealed differences by demographic and disease group. Men were more inclined than women to adopt multiple devices, and subtle variations were observed across age brackets. Nevertheless, the findings confirm that even older adults are willing to incorporate digital monitoring when study requirements align with clinical priorities and technology is easy to use.
These results reinforce the growing role of digital health tools in patient-centered research and suggest that clinicians and investigators should prioritize wearable, intuitive devices to maximize engagement. The willingness of patients with chronic conditions to adopt technology supports the expansion of digital health integration into real-world clinical studies, potentially improving data capture and trial efficiency.
Reference: Maetzler C et al. Empowering patients: A multimodal digital health technology survey of patients with neurogenerative disorders and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Digit Health. 2025 Sep 30:11:20552076251380054.
