More than half of Americans in a recent survey want to use telemedicine to connect with the physician – and they also think it should cost less than an in-person visit.
That's the finding of a recent survey of roughly 2,000 adults by Harris Poll on behalf of American Well, the Boston-based telehealth provider. It points to a growing acceptance among consumers of online and video healthcare visits, and an understanding the telemedicine will change how healthcare is delivered in the future.
According to the survey, 64 percent said they'd be willing to see a doctor via video. When asked what version of remote care is best for receiving a diagnosis, 63 percent picked HD video, while 30 percent chose the telephone and 7 percent chose e-mail.
[See also: A guide to the nation's telehealth resource centers.]
More specifically, consumers would use telemedicine for simpler tasks than waiting the 20-day average to visit a doctor. At least 70 percent said they'd rather have an online visit to get a prescription.
In terms of cost, 62 percent said a video consultation should cost less than an in-person visit (5 percent, meanwhile, felt that it should cost more). According to an American Well analysis, a primary care visit currently averages $95, while an urgent care center visit costs $140 and a trip to the ER could run upwards of $750. Online visits like those provided by American Well, meanwhile, average less than $50.
On the subject of concierge care, most consumers don't want to jump online and be seen by a randomly selected doctor. A full 88 percent (and 94 percent of retired individuals) said they want to choose the doctor – either their own or one they've picked after reviewing credentials, training and experience. This is giving rise to two specific forms of telehealth: services that allow consumers to review and choose which doctor they'd like to see, and platforms that allow providers to establish links with their own patients (and vice versa).
According to the survey, 7 percent said they'd switch doctors to one who offers telemedicine (among younger adults, ages 18-34, that number jumped to 11 percent). That number may sound low, but it still represents millions of Americans, and the higher percentage among younger consumers indicates that number might increase over time. It also points to a shift in the relationship between the consumer and the primary care physician away from the "family doctor" of old. For comparison, only 27 percent of those surveyed said they've gone to the same doctor for 10 years or more, while 20 percent have seen the doctor for less than two years and another 14 percent don't even have a primary care doctor.
Finally, in terms of emergency care, consumers still see the ER as the best option, but telehealth is gaining ground there as well. When asked what they would do if they or a loved one was sick with a high fever and needed attention in the middle of the night, 44 percent chose the ER, and 21 percent selected video visits – and that over a 24-hour nurse line, which received 17 percent of the vote. Among parents with young children, the percentage selecting video visits improved spiked upward from 18 percent to 30 percent.
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