Online searches for digital health products in the UK increased by 343% during the first lockdown, according to a new public health study.

Research scientists led by Simon Leigh, head of research at the Organisation for the Review of Health and Care Applications (ORCHA) examined web-based internet searches for digital health products before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study, published by BMJ Open, shows that pressures put on the routine delivery of healthcare during the pandemic lead to “significant increases” in searches for digital health products.

Examining two years of collated data from January 2019 to December 2020, the team found that searches for musculoskeletal and physiotherapy products experienced the most significance increase during lockdown with a 2036% rise.

Searches for digital health products to help allergies surged by 1253%, while searches for healthy living apps increased by 1051%.

In total, 92% of medical condition areas saw an increase in searches, with the greatest soars occurring in the first two months following lockdown. 

Study participants were members of the UK general population using health-app libraries provided by ORCHA.

WHY IT MATTERS

Researchers concluded that the pandemic’s disruption to routine healthcare delivery contributed to unmet clinical needs and an increased interest in the potential therapeutic medium of digital health products.

They added that future research should clarify whether this increased interest has also resulted in increased acceptance and utilisation of the technologies.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

Earlier this year ORCHA published research reporting “an explosion” in digital health since COVID-19, with health app downloads up from four to five million every day.

During 2021, the organisation has partnered with organisations including the Osteopathic Health Centre in Dubai and seven Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) in South-West England to provide citizens with access to its digital health libraries.

ORCHA's chief operating officer, Tim Andrews recently spoke to MobiHealthNews about the challenges of evaluating digital health. The organisation reviews health apps against 350 measures of usability, security, and quality.

ON THE RECORD

Simon Leigh said: “We set out to explore whether demand for digital health products changed following the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures... it did! And these increases weren’t a flash in the pan at the start of lockdown – they were sustained in the nine months following the first lockdown, with 84% of condition areas still experiencing demand at least 50% greater than pre-lockdown levels.

“When we’re questioning whether GPs should revert to face-to-face appointments, perhaps we should reflect on the massive success of tele-health during COVID-19. Whilst a video or telephone call won’t work for everyone, for many patients it works brilliantly. This could be the start of increased acceptance of a whole new generation of medical technology, and we should be encouraging GPs to use a range of approaches, including digital health products, to match the needs of patients and provide the choice they are wanting.”