The pandemic accelerated the shift to telehealth; patient preferences will sustain it.
The pandemic has upended nearly all aspects of life but perhaps one of the most interesting relationships being put in the spotlight is the one we have with our health and, by proxy, our healthcare providers.
Unlike other industries where the pandemic forced people who would prefer in-person interactions to digital, when it comes to healthcare, it’s not necessarily that people didn’t want to interact digitally, but that telehealth wasn’t widely available as an option pre-COVID.
If patients continue with telehealth over office visits, will it be because they don’t feel comfortable visiting in-person or because they actually prefer the virtual experience?
For those who used telehealth for the first time during the pandemic, the answer appears to be the latter. In fact, telehealth could be the solution to frequent doctors visits to monitor an ongoing condition or just general access to those living in rural areas.
This wave of first-time telehealth adopters, coupled with increasing at-home healthcare solutions, could lead to a massive disruption in the way healthcare functions going forward. This report provides an overview of first-time adopters, including their overall preferences and behaviors, to help you prepare for what’s next in healthcare.
Some key insights from the latest findings…
- Two out of three people are now saying they’ve used telehealth at least once
- Comfort with in-person visitation doesn’t appear to have a strong impact on interest in telehealth
- Patients reporting that prior to COVID-19 saw a doctor for management of an ongoing condition were +20% more likely to have increased telehealth usage
- First-Time Telehealth Adopters skew towards an audience that is older, more suburban or rural, and middle-lower income