A survey by Manhattan Research has found that 26 percent of US adults questioned in a survey had used their phones for accessing health information or tools over the past 12 months. The market research firm interviewed 8,745 users for their survey in the recently finished Q3 2011. The takeup figure is on an upward trend since last year when 12 percent of users had accessed mobile health services over the past year.

Using a mobile handset to search for health information or read about health-related news is however a fairly broad category. The take-up of users managing their care or treatment with their phones in the past year is smaller. Eight percent of users used prescription drug refill or reminder services in 2011, an increase from the three percent the previous year, perhaps a more solid indicator of mobile health adoption.