What you need to know

The COVID-19 pandemic elevated consumer awareness of personal health needs, as well as increased reliance on technology for everyday tasks and routines. As adults ramp up engagement in technology overall, greater adoption of health technology is a natural progression. Future success for the category depends on adapting to key consumer groups: young adults are open to health technology for managing wellness needs, such as improved sleep and stress management; additionally, there is opportunity to help aging consumers, who are most resistant to health tech, manage chronic conditions with innovative devices and platforms.

Key issues covered in this Report

  • Impact of COVID-19 on health technology trends

  • Health tech use is widespread allowing brands to focus on consumer experience

  • Wearables offer ample opportunity

  • Highlight personalized recommendations to support motivation and accountability

Definition

This Report explores consumer attitudes and behaviors toward using technology to manage personal health. Sales of specific exercise products are not included.

Readers may also be interested in Healthcare Spending, US – November 2020, Wearable Technology – US, January 2021 and Health Management Trends – US, January 2021 and other titles from Mintel’s Health and Wellbeing library.

COVID-19: market context

The first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the US in January 2020. It was declared a global health pandemic and national emergency in early March 2020. Across the US, various stay-at-home orders were put in place in Spring 2020, and non-essential businesses and school districts closed or shifted to remote operations. The remainder of 2020 saw rolling orders, as states and local governments relaxed and reinforced guidelines according to the spread of the virus in each region.

Vaccine roll-out began in December, 2020. Mintel anticipates business operations in the US will remain in a state of flux through 2021 as vaccines are widely administered and social distancing restrictions and capacity limitations are relaxed.

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