Telemedicine adoption by Americans has reached 80 percent, becoming the preferred method of prescription care and minor illnesses, according to a Feb. 21 report from Rock Health.
Rock Health surveyed 8,000 U.S. adults to assess consumer insights on telehealth usage for 2022. Here are seven key findings:
- Most commonly used telemedicine methods were audio and asynchronous options.
- Telemedicine via phone increased to 57 percent, up 12 percent from 2021.
- Telemedicine surpassed in-person visits as the preferred method for prescription refills.
- Fifty-one percent of respondents said they preferred telemedicine for minor illnesses.
- Eighty-percent of respondents said they had used telemedicine at one point.
- Forty-four percent of respondents said they prefer in-person health visits.
- In 2022, telemedicine made strides in serving underserved communities. With 82 percent of Hispanic patients reporting using telehealth, up 9 percent from 2021. In addition, 76 percent of patients over the age of 55 reported using telemedicine in 2022, up from 64 percent the year prior.