A new study by law firm Pinsent Masons said the adoption of mobile health in the UK is being held back by a low awareness among the public.

An online survey of more than 2,000 adults by YouGov found “a lack of consumer understanding is acting as a major barrier to the development of mHealth products and services, which include everything from booking medical appointments on mobile to monitoring chronic conditions such as diabetes”.

Before being given a definition of mobile health, the majority (73 per cent) of respondents didn’t know what it meant, and when it was explained 90 per cent stated they have never used a mobile health service, despite being given examples such as popular fitness apps

The survey also suggests that the NHS will need to play a central role in any successful take-up of mobile health, given the trust invested in the organisation by the public.

Interestingly, despite substantial coverage in the media of privacy issues, a significant majority (62 per cent) of respondents suggested they were unconcerned about the privacy of their medical data.