The pandemic exposed the American public to a huge number of new trends, from online shopping to remote school, and of course new and expanded access to telehealth. And while some trends we’ll be glad to see fade into history (see: remote kindergartens) others, such as telehealth, have proven extremely popular. This month, we highlight reports on patient satisfaction with telehealth, as well as the big bets from new entrants into the market.
COVID-19 Telehealth Delivery Reaps High Patient Satisfaction
mHealthIntelligence
New survey results from the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition show that people who have used telehealth during the pandemic have had an overwhelmingly positive experience. More than 80 percent reported good visit quality, and 78 percent said they felt their health concern could be addressed via telehealth. Importantly, these findings were consistent across age, insurance type, and geographic setting.
Virtual Care Patients Report Satisfaction with Range of Benefits
CBC
In Canadian report on patient satisfaction in telehealth, researchers found that people who had a virtual care visit appreciated a range of benefits, from avoiding time spent in a waiting room, to the environmental benefits of skipping a car ride. An overwhelming number of respondents — 91 percent — said they were very satisfied with their virtual care experiences
Amazon’s healthcare push is a threat—and an opportunity—for the industry
Fast Company
An article in Fast Company argues Amazon’s big push into telehealth means other companies will have to step up their commitment to seamless, user-focused experiences (We agree! See our eBook on Ease of Use in Telehealth). In the face of the new competition, writer Eric Kinariwala says telehealth companies would do well to “pay obsessive attention to customer experience and satisfaction
Administration outlines health IT funding priorities
HealthcareITNews
The Biden administration has announced a budget plan that includes billions in funding devoted to health IT. The request includes $8.7 billion for public health data collection, $6.5 billion aimed at “driving transformational innovation in health research,” and $65 million for rural broadband connectivity, among other priorities.