Telemedicine continues to gain traction in the healthcare industry, offering a convenient, integrated experience for patients.
Jackson Healthcare gathered surveys and data on a broad range of topics relating to U.S. physicians, including telemedicine practices, in its "Physician Trends 2016 Report."
Here are 12 key statistics about telemedicine:
1. The global telemedicine market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.3 percent between 2014 and 2020, based on a Nathaniel Lacktman, Esq. Healthcare Partner, Foley & Lardner report.
2. The market value is set to hit $36.2 billion by 2020, up from $14.3 billion in 2014, according to the report.
3. In 2015, 42 states proposed a total of more than 200 pieces of legislation addressing telemedicine, according to the State Health Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies Report, April 2016.
4. The report also noted 29 states and the District of Columbia currently uphold laws mandating health plans cover telemedicine services.
5. Of employers with on-site health facilities, 35 percent offer telemedicine services and an additional 12 percent intend to in the next two years, a Towers Watson 2015 Employer-Sponsored Health Care Center Survey found.
6. The survey also found by 2017, about 70 percent of employers plan to offer telemedicine services as an employee benefit.
7. From the patient perspective, 64 percent of Americans reported they would attend an appointment via video telehealth, according to an American Well 2015 Telehealth Survey.
8. Additionally, the survey revealed 57 percent of primary care physicians are open to holding appointments with patients via video.
9. An overwhelming majority (90 percent) of healthcare executives said their organizations have implemented or are developing a telemedicine program, according to the Foley 2014 Telemedicine Survey Executive Summary.
10. The telemedicine services field is positioned to explode by 2018 with an anticipated 7 million patient users, up from 350,000 patient users in 2013, according to an IHS Technology report.
11. C2 Solutions discovered nearly 75 percent of all physician, urgent care and emergency room visits classify as unnecessary or manageable by phone or video.
12. The nearly 20 percent of Americans residing in rural areas stand to benefit from telemedicine services, as they live far away from healthcare providers.