Patients Satisfied with SDOH Needs Addressed Via Telehealth
Survey results show that patients were satisfied with clinicians using telehealth to tackle social determinants of health needs, with 63 percent saying that their medical and social needs were met.
Published in Cureus, a recent survey indicated that most patients were satisfied with telehealth, stating that their medical and social concerns were met during virtual visits, which supports the future use of virtual care to address social determinants of health (SDOH).
Amid the rapid uptake of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, patient satisfaction remains a key factor contributing to the high usage of this modality. In addition, the pandemic highlighted how SDOH impacts patient care.
Researchers conducted a survey to review levels of patient satisfaction with the care they receive through telehealth and whether clinicians could address both medical and social needs through virtual care.
The survey polled patients at a university-affiliated primary care training clinic in Detroit. The survey aimed to gauge patient satisfaction with the technical components of their virtual visit, the visit, and the screening tool used to assess SDOH needs.
In total, 79 people completed the survey. Respondents ranged from 18 to 74 years; 66 percent were female, and 34 percent were male. When asked about their comfort levels in sharing health concerns through telehealth, only 3 percent stated they were uncomfortable.
When asked about the emotions following the first encounter, 60 percent said they felt comfortable with telehealth, 14 percent felt uncomfortable, and 26 percent felt neutral.
The majority (88 percent) of patients indicated that they would participate in telehealth in the future.
Also, 63 percent of patients "strongly agreed" that their concerns related to social determinants of health were addressed via telehealth. Further, 59 percent indicated that they received helpful resources from their physician.
Regarding technology, patients generally reported positive experiences. When asked if they could hear the doctor and whether Zoom was easy to use, 64 percent and 61 percent of patients, respectively, answered: “strongly agree.”
Based on these results, researchers concluded that patients were satisfied with telehealth and agreed that their medical and social concerns were addressed during their virtual visit.
These survey results indicate that telehealth can help serve patients from underserved communities by enabling accurate assessments of SDOH and can assist physicians in optimizing their virtual interactions with patients.
The survey results align with other surveys assessing patient views of telehealth.
In December, for example, America’s Health Insurance Plans shared survey results showing that Americans value the convenience of telehealth. In addition, many respondents indicated that telehealth made seeking out healthcare more efficient and that the availability of providers through telehealth is sufficient.
Also, a majority of survey respondents said that they believe Congress should take permanent actions to allow for telehealth coverage prior to paying a full deductible.