Patients Indicate High Levels of Satisfaction Following Telehealth Use
New research shows that 57 to 80 percent of patients prefer telehealth when obtaining care, revealing high levels of satisfaction with the care modality.
According to new research findings from the JD Power 2022 US Telehealth Satisfaction Study, telehealth has become more than a temporary replacement for in-person care due to high consumer preference and its role in expanding access to mental health treatment.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many providers turned to telehealth due to the restrictions placed on in-person care. Data collected in 2022 by JD Power indicates that patient satisfaction with telehealth is high, with many claiming that they now prefer it to in-person care.
“Telehealth and digital technologies are transforming how patients seek and receive healthcare,” said Christopher Lis, managing director of global healthcare intelligence at JD Power, in a press release. “Telehealth has the potential to increase access, convenience, care coordination and continuity, improve outcomes, and fill in gaps in provider coverage, particularly in underserved areas.”
The 2022 survey, which polled 4,306 healthcare customers between June and July, revealed several noteworthy data points. For example, 67 percent of patients indicated that they had used telehealth in the preceding year, which is significantly higher than the 37 percent that did the same in 2019.
Also, almost all survey respondents (94 percent) who had received care through telehealth in the preceding year indicated that they intend to use it again. Telehealth was the preferred mode of delivery for several healthcare services. Among patients who had used it in the past year, 80 percent preferred telehealth for prescription refills, 72 percent preferred it for reviewing medication options, and 71 percent for discussing test results.
When asked why they preferred using telehealth, 61 percent of respondents reported convenience, 49 percent said the speed of care, and 28 percent cited the ease experienced when accessing health information.
Further, JD Power ranked various direct-to-consumer telehealth providers by satisfaction. LiveHealth Online ranked the highest, scoring 869 on a 1,000-point scale, followed by Doctor on Demand with a score of 864, and eVisit with 862.
Previous studies have also indicated high patient satisfaction with telehealth, supporting the notion that many prefer to receive care through this modality.
A study from March found that most pediatric orthopedic patients were satisfied with telehealth. Researchers reached this conclusion following a survey of patients that asked about their experience, video connection, and satisfaction during telehealth visits. For each question, most patients provided positive feedback.
A report from March also shows that mental healthcare patients expressed high comfort levels with telehealth. Survey results show that most patients across age groups said they felt more comfortable using app-based virtual therapy than in-person care.
