Survey shows what factors are most important to consumers when selecting a telehealth option.
Over the past six months, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven the use of Telehealth to new heights. But concern looms over continued usage once this crisis has passed. J.D. Power?s second annual Telehealth Satisfaction Study, published earlier this month, shows that there are many additional reasons why consumers are selecting Telehealth over traditional in-office visits. While concerns over safety and limiting exposure to the Coronavirus may have been the initial driver of consumer adoption, it is not the number one reason why consumers plan on sticking with Telehealth.
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Safety was ranked #12 in the 2019 survey but shot up to the #2 position in 2020 with 46%.
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In the 2019 survey (pre-COVID-19), convenience was ranked as the number one reason (64%) consumers were using Telehealth. In this year?s survey, convenience still ranks as the number one reason, but the percentage selecting that as their number one reason has fallen to 51%.
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Speed of access was also highly ranked in both years. It came in at the #2 position in 2019 at 53% and the #3 position in 2020 at 44%.
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Moving in the other direction where factors such as ease of access to health information, falling from the #3 spot at 34% to #6 at 27%. Lower cost also fell in importance, appearing at the #5 position with 22% in 2019 and falling to the #8 position with 23% in 2020.
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As providers and payors look to drive sustainable usage of both telehealth and remote care, addressing the varied needs and desires of their patients will be paramount to success.
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The top 12 reasons for using telehealth, according to the 2020 survey, are listed below, with the 2019 ranking and percentages in parentheses:
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- 1. Convenience, 51 percent (1, 64 percent)
- 2. Safety, 46 percent (12, 13 percent)
- 3. Speed ? ability to receive care quickly, 44 percent (2, 53 percent)
- 4. Quality care, 30 percent (6, 25 percent)
- 5. Condition covered by telehealth visit, 28 percent (7, 22 percent)
- 6. Ease of access to health information, 27 percent (3, 34 percent)
- 7. Convenient communication channels, 26 percent (4, 33 percent)
- 8. Lower overall cost, 23 percent (5, 30 percent)
- 9. Difficult to travel to medical office, 21 percent (7, 20 percent)
- 10. Recommendation, 19 percent (7, 20 percent)
- 11. Reputation, 19 percent (11, 14 percent)
- 12. Past experience, 17 percent (9, 19 percent).