Willingness to use virtual care exceeds service offerings

A vast majority of healthcare consumers are willing to return for virtual care visits; however, demand appears to exceed supply, with nearly half of health systems saying they offer the same or fewer virtual visits today compared to 2022, according to new research from Deloitte.

The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions conducted a survey in July 2024, polling more than 2,000 U.S. consumers on their experiences with virtual healthcare and 51 U.S. health system executives about their virtual health strategies.

The survey results show that though the proportion of consumers who had a virtual health visit in the previous year increased only slightly from 42% in 2022 to 44% in 2024, the willingness to continue using virtual health services has increased significantly. In 2024, most consumers (94%) expressed willingness to have another virtual visit, up from 80% in 2020.

Not only that, but 24% of consumers surveyed also said they would be willing to switch doctors if virtual visit options weren't offered. This was especially true of younger consumers, with 43% of millennials and 33% of Generation Z respondents saying they would switch doctors to obtain virtual visit options compared to only 7% of baby boomers.

Interestingly, more Hispanic (38%) and Black (29%) respondents said they would consider switching doctors to ensure the availability of virtual visits than white (21%) and Asian (17%) respondents.

About 20% of the surveyed healthcare executives report that their organizations offer fewer virtual visits today than in 2022, while around 30% offer the same number of virtual visits as two years ago.

However, the survey results show that consumers prefer virtual care only for some services, such as refilling a prescription (62%). In contrast, in-person appointments are preferred for dermatology appointments (68%), chronic care management (62%), post-surgical check-ins (60%) and obstetrics-gynecology visits (52%).

"These responses suggest that the quality of care is better for these services when delivered in person and that these consumers appreciate an in-person touch," the researchers noted.

Survey results further revealed that half of healthcare providers have not increased their virtual care offerings in the last two years. About 20% of the surveyed healthcare executives report that their organizations offer fewer virtual visits today than in 2022, while around 30% offer the same number of virtual visits as two years ago.

The primary reasons for reducing virtual care offerings include low interest among physicians and clinical teams (60%), lack of need for COVID-19 precautions (60%), low demand among patients (40%), and changes to payment incentives and inadequate reimbursement (30%).

Additionally, most respondents (82%) indicated they would be willing to expand virtual care services if reimbursement rates were equivalent to those for in-person care.

Still, virtual healthcare has the potential to be a profitable growth area for health systems if they adopt new strategies in line with consumer needs.

"The current landscape presents a significant opportunity for health systems to re-evaluate their virtual health and digital experience strategies," the researchers concluded. "By aligning with consumer expectations and leveraging digital advancements, health systems can enhance patient satisfaction, secure their market position, and improve financial performance."

The survey findings are in keeping with recent data detailing the nuances of virtual care utilization in the post-pandemic healthcare landscape.

Trilliant Health's "2024 Trends Shaping the Health Economy" report, released earlier this month, revealed an enduring preference for in-person care. In 2023, most adult patients across age groups chose to receive in-person care, with only about a third of adults selecting telehealth visits.

According to the report, patients reported receiving a more detailed and complete physical examination and experiencing direct, visual, comfortable and better communication during in-person appointments.

Still, telebehavioral healthcare remains immensely popular, with utilization rising to 72.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

In an interview, Sanjula Jain, Ph.D., senior vice president of market strategy and chief research officer at Trilliant Health, noted that these evolving trends indicate a shift from volume to value within the virtual healthcare landscape.

Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers the virtual healthcare landscape, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics.