Consumers generally like the idea of being able to see a physician without leaving their homes, according to a study in Telemedicine and e-Health.
Researchers conducted phone interviews with 263 patients who had been seen in an outpatient setting in the past year to gauge their interest in being seen by a physician via video-based telemedicine.
More than a third (38 percent) said they would be "very likely" to accept an invitation to participate in a video consult, 28.1 percent were "somewhat likely" and 33.8 percent were "not at all likely." Older patients and those who live further away from their care facility were more receptive to the idea of telemedicine, those that felt unsure they had the technological savvy to set up and participate in a video call were less receptive. Cost was also a major determinant — when asked if they would participate in a video consult if it was not covered by their insurance, 75.5 percent said they were "not at all likely" to do so.
Researchers concluded consumers are generally open to video consults, though cost and technological abilities remain an obstacle to full acceptance.
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