20 Stats: How Do Patients Feel About Telehealth?

We've all heard the stats citing that telemedicine is on the rise. But will your patients actually use telehealth if you offer virtual visits in your practice? Will they be willing to get over any concerns or initial hesitations? How do patients actually feel about telemedicine?

It turns out that across many different surveys in the field, patients are very interested in using telehealth. Telemedicine visits can save them time and money, especially when they help avoid a trip to the ER. Commonly cited concerns such as online security really don't seem to be high on the list for most patients considering telehealth.

Here's the full list of 20 interesting statistics about the patient experience of telehealth:

1. The average wait time for most telemedicine visit is approximately 20 minutes.
2. Far less costly than other health care options, the average telemedicine visit costs just $40.
3. 91% of outcomes were equal or better than that of in-person visits.
4. Only 6% of telemedicine patients require follow-up treatment as opposed to 13% of those who were seen in the office. 
5. There is no need to take time off work for appointments as most appointments can be handled in minutes, as well as around your schedule.
6.  Much lower wait times than other types of health care, it takes just 2 minutes to be seen by a telemedicine doctor.
7. Many consumers trust telemedicine more as they are able to read their credentials before they select their physician.
8.  Video visits have become second to the ER in terms of those visiting the for late night urgent medical issues; 21% ranked telemedicine first, 30% for parents of children under the age of 18.  
9. 70% of reporting consumers asserted that they would prefer to fill their primary prescriptions.  
10. Appointment times are, on average, 20 minutes or less.
11. 95% of patients report being satisfied with their experience.  
12. 30% of patients are already using some sort of telemedicine services.  
13. 64% of Americans have expressed interest in using telemedicine.
14. 7% (17 million) of Americans are willing to switch doctors due to issues with availability of telehealth appointments.
15. 76% of patients prioritize the access to a medical professional over seeing one in person.  
16. Although cyber security is a common issue in other sectors, less than 2% of telemedicine patients are concerned for their online safety.
17. 56% are unsure if their insurance covers telehealth visits.
18. 21% of respondents use telemedicine due to lack of travel time.
19. 21% of patients said missed in-person interaction while using telehealth services.
20. 12% experienced or had a concern about technical issues.

Thanks to our sources!