Telemedicine is a quickly growing field, and the statistics of potential users show promising capacity for increased expansion. In a study conducted by Matthew Gardner, MBA, MDes, and supported by the Center for Innovation at the Mayo Clinic, a random group of patients were surveyed, all of whom had recently been outpatients at the same institution. The participants, whose average age was 57.9, provided information about their willingness to try telemedicine.
The survey found that 84% of participants had a computer or smart device capable of video calls, implying that technology, while the obvious target when it comes to increasing the volume of telehealth appointments, is not the bottleneck. 75.5% of those surveyed said that they would be “not at all likely” to participate in telemedicine if their insurance did not cover the appointment. This indicates that making insurance coverage more ubiquitous is essential to increasing the number of patients serviced. The other key contributing factor was familiarity with the medium. 62% of those who had participated in a video call agreed or strongly agreed that they could receive the same quality of healthcare as a traditional in-person visit compared to only 34% who had not participated. As the population becomes more comfortable with video calling, we can expect a near doubling of comfortability with telemedicine. It is important to note, however, that 61% of respondents who had not made a video call still believed they would be able to communicate what they needed to via secure video appointment.
The study finds, “Almost uniformly, participants who reported having to take an economic loss, or make work, pet, or child care arrangements, were more likely to also have indicated that they were very likely to accept a video appointment.” This suggests that those with busier schedules or long travel times to see a healthcare provider represent a substantial untapped market. Perhaps most intriguingly the survey noted “Nineteen percent of the sample (29% local, 7% non-local) indicated that their last visit to the local institution involved one provider and required no additional tests. This reflects the patient population for whom a video visit would potentially be feasible and most beneficial. Among the [subset] 41.7% were somewhat likely to accept a video invite and 31.3% were very likely. Therefore, 74.4% of this subset are somewhat or very likely to accept.”
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