Virus Impact: 43% Of Patients Unsure About Seeing Healthcare Provider In Person – InsuranceNewsNet

InsuranceNewsNet — Your Industry. One Source.™

Sign in
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home Now reading Newswires
Topics
    • Life Insurance News
    • Annuity News
    • Health/Employee Benefits
    • Property and Casualty
    • Advisor News
    • Washington Wire
    • Regulation News
    • Sponsored Articles
    • Monthly Focus
  • INN Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Webinars
  • Free Newsletters
Sign in or register to be an INNsider.
  • Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Webinars
  • Free Newsletters
  • Insider Pro
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Staff
  • Contact
  • Newsletters

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Health Insurance Newsletter
Newswires RSS Get our newsletter
Order Prints
July 28, 2020 Newswires No comments
Share
Share
Tweet
Email

Virus Impact: 43% Of Patients Unsure About Seeing Healthcare Provider In Person

Business Wire

DocASAP, the industry's most advanced patient access and engagement platform for health systems, health plans and physician groups, today announced the results of its “Telehealth Consumer Experience” 2020 survey.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by DocASAP, provides an inside look at healthcare consumers’ concerns and experiences during the pandemic, revealing key drivers of telehealth adoption, the growing demand for digital, self-service capabilities and the long-term preference for virtual care post-COVID-19.

Anxiety with in-person visits projected to continue

Related stories

  • What’s new, what’s changed in ACA open enrollment season
  • Texas lawmakers ask feds to reconsider Medicaid expansion proposal

COVID-19-related concerns have impacted every industry, especially healthcare. In fact, 68% of survey respondents have postponed or canceled an in-person healthcare appointment due to COVID-19. This number was higher among men (73%) than women (64%). Additionally, 43% of respondents said that they wouldn’t feel comfortable going back to see a healthcare provider in person until at least the fall.

While healthcare facilities are traditionally thought of as sterile environments, this perception has been negatively impacted during the pandemic. When asked, “right now, which of the following facilities do you feel are safest to enter,” the majority of respondents (42%) selected a grocery store over a hospital (32%) or doctor’s office (26%). At the bottom of the list, the three destinations deemed least safe were entertainment/sports facility (9%), followed by urgent care/ER (12%) and public transportation (airplane, train/bus) (13%), revealing that healthcare facilities are among the venues perceived as higher risk by the public.

Adoption of telemedicine creating preference for virtual care

To mitigate risk, healthcare consumers are turning to telehealth to manage their care needs. Almost half of survey respondents (40%) have scheduled a telehealth appointment. Additionally, 92% of respondents said that they were satisfied with their overall telehealth appointment experience. When asked to describe their telehealth appointment experience, the top three descriptors were easy (45%), efficient (38%) and convenient (30%).

The recent surge in telehealth appointments is creating a widespread preference for virtual care in the future. An overwhelming majority of respondents (91%) who have had a telehealth appointment said they are more likely to schedule a telehealth appointment instead of an in-person visit in the future. Furthermore, nearly half of all respondents (45%) said if a provider offers telehealth appointments, it would influence their decision to use them.

Telemedicine opening the digital front door to the digital practice

Consumers today have become accustomed to on-demand experiences, and the healthcare industry is catching up. The survey revealed that 51% of telehealth appointments were scheduled online, higher than by phone (45%) and in-person (4%). When asked what respondents prefer to do online for an in-person or telehealth appointment, 45% said “schedule an appointment” followed by “check my symptoms before the visit” (42%), “find out how much the visit/procedure will cost me” (32%) and “complete forms” (32%).

While online appointment booking is a top priority for healthcare consumers, when asked “what frustrated you the most about your telehealth visit,” scheduling an appointment (29%) was the top frustration. Understanding patient preferences and empowering them with the tools needed to manage their healthcare journey is becoming a major competitive differentiator for providers.

Additional Key Findings:

  • Mental health more common reason for a telehealth visit than COVID-19: While routine check-ups were the top reason for scheduling a telehealth appointment across the board (56%), more than a quarter of telehealth visits (26%) were due to mental health concerns, exceeding COVID-19 (24%).
  • Payers play a significant role in consumer awareness and adoption of telehealth: Prior to COVID-19, 28% of healthcare consumers reported knowing whether their insurance company covered telehealth appointments. Additionally, 43% of all respondents listed “covered by insurance” as a top factor that would influence their decision to schedule a virtual appointment.
  • Online scheduling is a top preference for consumers regardless of age: When asked, “Which of these would you prefer to do online for an in-person or telehealth provider appointment,” the top response was “schedule an appointment online” for Gen Z (60%), Millennials (42%) and those 57+ (50%). “Check my symptoms before the visit” was the top preference for Gen X (51%) followed by “schedule an appointment” (49%).
  • All generations are embracing telehealth: Regardless of age, those who have had a telehealth appointment are more likely to schedule a telehealth appointment instead of an in-person appointment in the future. This is true for 100% of Gen Z (ages 18-25), 95% of Millennials (ages 26-41), 90% of Gen X (ages 42-56) as well as those 57+ (73%).
  • Those 57+ are not as concerned about COVID-19 as younger generations: When asked “what would influence your decision to schedule a telehealth appointment,” COVID-19-related safety concerns were the top pick for Gen Z (54%), Millennials (44%) and Gen X (54%). Those 57+ listed “convenience” (53%) as their top influencer with “no travel involved” ranking second (52%).
  • Telehealth accommodates different visit preferences: Of respondents who have had telehealth appointments, the most common type of visit was video for Gen Z (64%), Millennials (73%) and Gen X (73%). Those 57+ were more likely to have a telehealth appointment via phone call (65%).

“Telehealth has quickly emerged as the preferred care setting during the pandemic and will drive patient behavior in the future,” said Puneet Maheshwari, co-founder and CEO of DocASAP. “As providers continue to adopt innovative technology to power a more seamless, end-to-end digital consumer experience, I expect telehealth to become fully integrated into overall care management, ensuring timely access to the right provider in the right care setting.”

To learn more about DocASAP’s “Telehealth Consumer Experience” 2020 survey, visit https://info.docasap.com/telehealth-survey-ebook.

Survey Methodology:

Commissioned by DocASAP, the “Telehealth Consumer Experience” 2020 survey was conducted by OnePoll, a marketing research company specializing in online quantitative research and polling, between June 29 – 30, 2020. Feedback was obtained from 1,000 U.S. adults who have used a healthcare provider in the last 12 months.

About DocASAP

DocASAP provides the industry’s most advanced patient access and engagement platform for health systems, health plans and physician groups. DocASAP empowers organizations to navigate patients to the optimal provider and care setting at the right time throughout their access journey, helping improve outcomes, reduce costs and create a better patient experience. Backed and promoted in the market by Aetna, Optum and UnitedHealthcare, DocASAP builds unique payer-provider connections with an eye toward simplified access, increased care compliance and improved population risk management. For more information, visit http://docasap.com or follow on Twitter @DocASAP.

Newer

Citing budget concerns, cuts, Missouri state leaders oppose Medicaid expansion

Advisor News

  • Fed slows rate hikes even as Powell says there's more work to do
  • Mortgage rates in U.S. fall again, hit 6.09%
  • 1 in 3 Americans struggling financially but goal-setting is a game-changer
  • Advisors bet on US stocks to outperform in 2023 amid tech rebound
  • Investors want more ESG information from companies
More Advisor News

Annuity News

  • Study: Does pessimism really suppress annuity sales?
  • Sweet streams of income: ChatGPT, the bard of annuities
  • F&G Annuities & Life announces equity investment in life IMO SYNCIS
  • Investors scrambling to lock in rates propel annuity sales to record highs
  • North American and Annexus launch new fixed index annuity
Sponsor
More Annuity News

Health/Employee Benefits News

  • State: all insurers failed to comply with Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Act
  • Will plan fix California health care?
  • Insurance giant Elevance to move into 15th state
  • Medicare card scam targets seniors for personal info
  • Yes, states are re-checking Medicaid and CHIP eligibility starting in April
More Health/Employee Benefits News

Life Insurance News

  • Maid's son tells judge Alex Murdaugh took $4M for her death
  • Chris Wilson tells court former friend Murdaugh confessed he was ‘stealing money’
  • State's motive testimony could prolong Alex Murdaugh murder trial
  • Equitable expands portfolio in VUL market
  • New date set for billionaire suspect accused of bribing state cabinet member
More Life Insurance News

- Presented By -

Top Read Stories

  • Chicago news roundup: PPP fraud uncovered in Chicago, informant reveals $100K bounty on FBG Duck and more
  • Gov. Carney: Enrollment on Delaware's Health Insurance Marketplace for 2023 Reaches All-Time High
  • 25 people charged in fake nursing diploma operation
  • Connecticut addressing broker shortage amid The Great Unwinding
  • Pennsylvania woman sentenced in elderly fraud case
More Top Read Stories >

FEATURED OFFERS

Meet Encova Life
We know agents matter. You can count on our life team to be high tech, high touch and responsive.

How to Write For InsuranceNewsNet

Find out how you can submit content for publishing on our website.
View Guidelines

Topics

  • Life Insurance News
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Property and Casualty
  • Advisor News
  • Washington Wire
  • Regulation News
  • Sponsored Articles
  • Monthly Focus

Top Sections

  • Life Insurance News
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits News
  • Property and Casualty News
  • AdvisorNews
  • Washington Wire
  • Insurance Webinars

Our Company

  • About
  • Editorial Staff
  • Magazine
  • Write for INN
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Sign up for our FREE e-Newsletter!

Get breaking news, exclusive stories, and money- making insights straight into your inbox.

select Newsletter Options
Facebook Linkedin Twitter
© 2023 InsuranceNewsNet.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdvisorNews

Sign in with your Insider Pro Account

Not registered? Become an Insider Pro.