Convenience, however, has trade-offs. Uscher-Pines points out that when care occurs in a home setting, patients may struggle to find private space away from other family members or may even feel pressured to involve family members in their appointment. Family aside, 36 percent of survey respondents say that they simply prefer to meet with their provider in person.
Still, high satisfaction levels with telehealth services point to a bright future for the solution: Of survey respondents who had already received telehealth care, an overwhelming majority stated that they either already have or would consider scheduling another telehealth appointment in the future. In fact, only 3 percent mention that they wouldn’t consider another appointment.
The study cites the technology’s ease of use of and the quick access to care it provides as two key contributors to the solution’s success.
2. Address the Existing and Potential Infrastructure Challenges
Unlocking the potential of telehealth requires additional patient supports if the shift to home-based telemedicine is to become a standard means of providing care after the critical phase of the pandemic passes.
“We need to improve patient readiness for home-based telehealth through education and IT support, and by providing devices,” says Uscher-Pines.
Unfortunately, even in the absence of a crisis, those who could most benefit from easy remote access to doctors are often also those who lack the resources required.
“Many underserved patients in the U.S. do not have all the necessary ingredients to use these services,” notes Uscher-Pines.