About a third of older Americans say they plan to use telemedicine in the future, a number that has remained steady throughout the pandemic, according to a new AARP study released in May.
Thirty-two percent of adults 50 and older said they were extremely or very interested in utilizing telehealth services for themselves or a loved one, the poll of 1,149 older adults found. Women and non-Hispanic Blacks were the groups most likely to express a keen interest.
More than half (51 percent) of older adults said they or a family member had used telemedicine during the past two years, with women being more likely to have done so than men. The main concern of poll respondents (32 percent) was that the quality of virtual visits would not be as good as in-person care.
"It appears that telehealth is likely to continue to remain an important tool in the health care delivery tool kit — at least for those with computers and high-speed internet access," the report said.