View this infographic to learn more about how data and analytics can help improve health literacy

Adoption of digital technologies has been more rapid in industries such as retail, financial services, and media than in the Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS) industries. Mobile and social communications, analytics, cloud computing and the Internet of things are just a few of the technologies that can make a big impact in how HLS organizations go to market faster, engage with patients better or transform their healthcare programs.

According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, only 12 percent of adults in the U.S. have proficient health literacy. In terms of numbers, that is nine out of ten adults who lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease. Low literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes such as higher rates of hospitalization and less frequent use of preventive services, which leads to higher healthcare costs. This is especially troubling for individuals over the age of 65 because they have low health literacy, live on a fixed budget and Medicare doesn’t pay for all the costs.

Clinical trials have a profound effect on the health and wellbeing of society, often leading to the approval of groundbreaking drugs that cure and prevent maladies.  While clinical research is the gateway to an improved understanding about diseases and treatment, sponsors encounter strong headwinds when administering clinical trials. Recruiting patients to participate in clinical trials is a major challenge, and the trend toward larger clinical trial sizes is only exacerbating the process.