Data from iPLATO Healthcare’s myGPTM app found that women were responsible for 68% of all GP appointments booked. The data also showed that 62% of the myGP users who had set up medication reminders were women.
Women were also more likely to register as carers for dependents, which allows them to book GP appointments for the people they care for. Almost 90% of the registered carers on myGP were women and 52% of the dependents added to the app were under the age of five.
iPLATO
Established in 2006, iPLATO’s solutions have proven to improve patient access to healthcare and early diagnosis, enabling powerful health promotion and support for citizens living with long-term conditions.
Click here for more details.
This article has been funded by iPLATO for GP Connect
The myGP app is free for patients and allows them to securely book or cancel appointments on their smartphone if their GP surgery is enrolled with iPLATO. It also enables practices to automate data collection such as smoking status, streamline call and recall, improve adherence and access to medication and support self care through digital care plans.
Lemarie Moses, product manager of myGP, said the data reflected an emerging trend of women making use of technology to manage their busy day-to-day lives.
Of the 6.5m unpaid carers in the UK, 58% are women. According to Carers UK over 2.4m people in the UK are caring for both young children and an older or disabled relatives and it is anticipated that there will be a rise in the number of people involved in multigenerational caring.
Ms Moses said: ‘We are incredibly excited about the ability of myGP to really make a difference to the lives of families across the UK. Our recent data analysis shows an emerging trend of women harnessing tech to cope with and manage their busy day-to-day lives. As a working parent, I understand the difficulties of finding the time to manage the healthcare of your children, as well as staying on top of your own.'
She added that a benefit of the app compared with current online access arrangements is that registration for the service is easier for patients and practices. Patients register remotely using their date of birth and the mobile number they have registered with the practice and, following a quick authentication process, they are able to use the service.
