Nearly three-quarters of patients accessed their first-ever telehealth visit during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and most of them reported high patient satisfaction with the experience.- This is according to a new survey of 1,000 patients conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Kyruus.
- The survey showed that telehealth can help providers fill the current chronic disease management gap and offer some semblance of treatment.
- Ninety-one percent of patients said telehealth would help them stick to a health visit schedule and manage their prescription medications.
- Meanwhile, 93 percent said telehealth would help them learn about new medication options that are available to them.
- This survey data adds to a long list of both qualitative and quantitative evidence suggesting that telehealth is here to stay.
A recently published article in the Patient Engagement Hit written by Sara Heath reveals about the positive sides of the telehealth based on a survey report.
Survey both qualitative and quantitative
This survey data adds to a long list of both qualitative and quantitative evidence suggesting that telehealth is here to stay. Anecdotally, medical providers who have pivoted to telehealth to continue patient care access have pointed out that the technology is convenient for patients and drives satisfaction. Even after the pandemic subsides, most experts predict there will be continued demand for telehealth care access.
Only 30% percent of patients
During this first COVID-19 surge, only 30 percent of patients said they booked their telehealth visits online.
Additionally, organizations would benefit from upping their virtual post-discharge and follow-up plans.
Fewer than half of respondents felt they understood the next steps in their care after a telehealth visit, specifically saying they don’t know how they could access virtual or telehealth care again in the future.
These survey findings reflect others from across the industry. June 2020 survey data from Doctor.com showed that 83 percent of patients anticipate long-term telehealth care access.
Nearly half of the 1,800 survey respondents said they used telehealth during the first COVID-19 surge, and 83 percent anticipated they would continue using it even after the virus dies down.
Remote strategy
Hhealthcare organizations turned to telehealth as a remote strategy to continue to manage care.
And they were successful. Across the country, organizations ranging from large academic medical centers to independent physician practices worked to pivot their telehealth strategies to meet a higher patient volume than ever before.
The covid 19 a boon for telehealth
The COVID-19 pandemic was a boon for telehealth. As patients hunkered down at home both to adhere to stay-at-home orders and avoid high-touch areas where the virus could spread, healthcare organizations shut down access to non-urgent care and elective procedures.
But in many cases, that did not mean patient access to care was entirely canceled.
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Source: Patient Engagement Hit
