Surveys Suggest Seniors Aren't Using Telehealth During COVID-19 Crisis

Despite a nationwide shift to telehealth to replace most in-person visits during the coronavirus pandemic, seniors aren’t using connected health platforms to access care.

In a survey of roughly 1,000 seniors on Medicare Advantage plans conducted earlier this month by the Better Medicare Alliance, just 24 percent said they’ve used telehealth during the COVID-19 crisis. And just 52 percent of the seniors said they’d be comfortable using telehealth to access care, while 30 percent said they’d be uncomfortable and 18 percent were unsure.

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Meanwhile, a Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll taken in March found that only 11 percent of those age 65 or older had used video-based telemedicine to talk to a doctor within the previous two weeks – even though 68 percent had access to the technology. In that survey, 38 percent of seniors said they had used video technology to talk to family or friends during the same time period.

“While it might not be too surprising that a relatively small share of people ages 65 and older say they’ve used an internet-connected device for video communication with a health care provider in recent weeks, this finding might put some realistic bounds on expectations for use of telehealth by people with Medicare during the COVID-19 emergency,” the KFF report notes.

“At the same time, we might expect this share to increase somewhat as more patients learn about the option to seek medical care from their providers via telehealth,” the report adds. “Family members might also be encouraging their older relatives to use telehealth in order to safely receive care they may need from their own homes.”

Likewise, the Better Medicare Alliance survey offers some hope as well. According to that poll, 91 percent of seniors using telehealth to gain access to care during the current pandemic reported having a favorable experience, and 78 percent said they’d be likely to use it again.

With federal and state governments relaxing guidelines and boosting coverage for telehealth during the pandemic – including allowing providers and patients use audio-only phones - the situation seems ideal for higher adoption among seniors.

“The provision of these services during the COVID-19 emergency may also pave the way for more widespread adoption of telehealth moving forward,” the KFF study notes.” Although a majority of people 65 and older have not used telehealth services in recent weeks, this could change moving forward as stay-at-home orders are extended. For older adults who are able to use telehealth, getting needed care while avoiding exposure to others who may be ill is an important benefit.”

That said, critics may ask why the numbers are low to begin with. Are seniors somehow managing to access in-person care during the pandemic, or are they forgoing care because they either don’t have or don’t trust the technology?