Two-thirds of consumers say they’ve delayed seeking care for a health problem. People do this because it costs too much (23%), it takes too long to see the doctor (23%), they think the issue will go away on its own (36%), or they’re just too busy (13%), according to a survey by telehealth company American Well. Of the people who have delayed seeing a doctor, almost a third were facing a serious health issue, the survey found. Ignoring a serious problem can create health complications, and even skipping regular health care can lead to difficulties if a minor issue escalates. What might help these consumers get their problems dealt with? Video doctor visits, the survey suggests. Two thirds of consumers would see a doctor over video—a practice that could cut down dramatically on the amount of time it takes to get care. Consider that the average in-office visit takes 121 minutes, including 101 minutes of commute and waiting room time—only 20 minutes with the doctor. In the meantime, a medical office in Las Vegas clocked video visits at 5 minutes of wait time and 8-10 minutes seeing the doctor. Video visits are more convenient and sometimes even require a lower co-pay than an in-person appointment. But only about 5% to 6% of primary care physicians have offered video telehealth. “Video visits are a significant change for most PCPs,” says Mary Modahl, American Well’s chief marketing officer. “They have a certain process in the office—patient comes in, staff goes through paperwork with the patient, patient gets in their gown, doctor takes the clipboard off wall and examines patient. This has remained the same since the 1950s.” But providers may want to take note, because 20% of consumers would switch care providers for one who offered the option of video visits. Younger generations lead the charge, with 26% of those ages 18-34 and 30% of those ages 35-44 being willing to switch. Not surprisingly, the number is also higher for parents: 34% would switch. “Consumers have now had experiences in other industries—shopping, banking—where things don’t need to be so hard, and healthcare has been slower to adapt,” Modahl says. “So now that the technology is available, they’re ready for it.” Some 60% of people who would be open to online video visits would use it for regular check-ins to manage a chronic condition. Another 52% said they’d be interested in using telehealth for post-surgical follow-up visits or hospital discharge. Twenty percent would use telehealth to handle middle-of-the-night issues like a high fever, and 79% would find it helpful for caring for an elderly parent or relative. Other uses: prescription refills (78%) and birth control visits (50%). For those concerned that video visits aren’t as useful as face-to-face time, Modahl reiterates that telehealth is face-to-face medicine. “This is where technology has made a breakthrough in just the last several years,” she says. “Today, it’s possible for consumers to see their doctor over video from home and work on mobile devices where video and audio work really well. This has only happened in the last five years as the technology has become available.” Source
