Fifty-nine percent of patients who have accessed telemedicine in the past plan to increase their usage of remote visits during the remainder of 2017, according to a survey by the medical products distributors trade group Health Industry Distributors Association.
Here are five survey insights into how telemedicine adopters feel about the technology.
1. The majority of respondents (54 percent) indicated the telemedicine visit was better than an in-person office visit.
2. Forty-one percent of respondents reported the telemedicine visit was the same as an office visit, while 5 percent said it was worse than the in-person alternative.
3. The top three reasons respondents cited for choosing a telemedicine visit over an office visit were convenience, cost and feeling their condition wasn't "serious."
4. Although the majority of patients expressed interest in increasing their telemedicine usage, a significant portion (38 percent) indicated they plan to use the same amount of telemedicine services in 2017.
5. Three percent of patients who have used telemedicine in the past plan to decrease their use of the service throughout the rest of the year.