Top Tech Stats: Use of online GP services, generational attitudes to tech and more

Welcome to your roundup of some of the past week’s most interesting surveys, statistics and reports relevant to those involved in the UK tech industry.

This week, we have statistics relating to digital health, generational attitudes to tech, management software and more.

Use of online GP services

Only one in three people in the UK have booked a GP appointment online despite a push by the NHS for people to do so, that’s according to research from MedCity which commissioned a survey ahead of the first-year anniversary of the DigitalHealth.London Accelerator.

Some 56% of respondents said they would be happy for their confidential records to be shared via an encrypted system to support prevention, diagnosis and treatments for themselves and the wider population.

Of those surveyed, 37% said if they had a long-term condition, they would rather input their data into a mobile app for their clinician to monitor remotely, instead of going to the doctor for regular checkups.

Also, the research found 53% of respondents would rather watch videos uploaded by a physiotherapist and do exercises at home for an injury, than be placed on a waiting list to see a physiotherapist.

Generational attitudes to tech

A new report from EY dispels some of the stereotypes surrounding the ways different generations purchase, use and interact with Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) products and services.

According to the report, 58% of Gen Z respondents go in-store to buy a new phone tariff, the highest of any segment, with Gen X (43%) being the lowest.

Also, 25% of Gen Z respondents go to a store to buy a new device, also the highest of any segment. Some 45% of Gen Z said they would never purchase a phone without viewing it in person, markedly higher than their nearest age group, Gen Y (35%), but behind the baby boomers (51%), proving that the virtual generation still craves a physical in-store experience.

TUC robots research

A new report published by the TUC argues the economic gains from digitisation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) should be used to benefit working people.

The Shaping Our Digital Future report explores how the next technological revolution will impact on jobs and wages.

According to the TUC, the government, business and trade unions must work together to mitigate disruption to working people’s lives, and to maximise opportunities for working people to benefit.

The report suggests income gains from higher productivity should be used to stop planned increases in the state pension age, set to affect millions of people in their 40s.

Lack of management software causing errors

Some 73% of SMEs who aren’t using any form of workflow management software are “constantly” or “frequently” facing errors in manual processes, according to a survey by Applied Business, providers of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

Half of the respondents also admitted to never carrying out daily backups of IT systems.

A further 67% of those surveyed admitted to not using any form of CRM. Some 81% of respondents who aren’t using a CRM said “not knowing where to start” is the main change management challenge they face.