What it’s essential know:

– Telehealth, hailed as a possible game-changer in healthcare accessibility, has had combined success in assembly affected person expectations, based on the newest figures. JD Energy 2024 US Telehealth Satisfaction Survey.

– Whereas telehealth use has skyrocketed, particularly through the pandemic, the analysis reveals important variations in affected person satisfaction amongst completely different telehealth suppliers and issues concerning the effectiveness of telehealth for several types of care.

Examine background/methodology

J.D. Energy's 2024 US Telehealth Satisfaction Survey underlines the complicated actuality of telehealth adoption. Whereas they supply comfort and accessibility, challenges stay in making certain constant high quality and assembly particular healthcare wants. Now in its fifth yr, the survey measures buyer satisfaction primarily based on seven key elements: belief, visiting the supplier who meets wants, individuals, digital channels, ease of receiving care, scheduling and money and time saving. The information relies on responses from 4,070 healthcare clients who used telehealth providers prior to now yr, collected between September 2023 and July 2024.

Key findings from the research embrace:

– Satisfaction variations: Total affected person satisfaction with direct-to-consumer telehealth suppliers is 730 (on a 1,000-point scale), down barely from 2023. In distinction, satisfaction with payer-provided telehealth choices elevated to 708. giant hole signifies important variations in perceived high quality of care and ease of entry.

– Comfort and obstacles: Sufferers primarily select telehealth for comfort (65%), fast entry to care (46%) and protection for his or her situation (30%). Nonetheless, challenges stay, with 65% of sufferers experiencing a minimum of one barrier throughout their telehealth go to. The most typical obstacles are points with web/cellular connectivity (25%), restricted vary of providers (25%) and knowledge safety issues (15%).

– Expertise gaps: Important buyer expertise gaps exist within the areas of remedy opinions and continual care follow-up. Sufferers with constructive experiences are extra probably to make use of telehealth for these providers, whereas destructive experiences drastically cut back the chance of repeat use.

– Socio-economic and demographic variations: Satisfaction ranges fluctuate amongst completely different teams, with larger satisfaction amongst Medicaid recipients, city residents, and youthful generations. In distinction, Medicare and personal insurance coverage beneficiaries, suburban residents, and older generations report decrease satisfaction.

– Direct-to-consumer: MyTelemedicine leads in telehealth satisfaction with a rating of 747, adopted by Physician On Demand and Teladoc Well being, each with 743.

– Offered by payer: Humana tops the checklist with a rating of 747, adopted by Florida Blue (734) and Blue Cross and Blue Protect of Texas (733).

“The telehealth market has grown quickly and whereas its use has normalized lately, we’re nonetheless in a development part the place people can have vastly completely different experiences primarily based on the suppliers they use, their medical circumstances and even issues like high quality of healthcare. web and telephone connections the place they dwell,” stated Christopher Lis, managing director of World Healthcare Intelligence at JD Energy. “Most shoppers agree that telehealth is difficult to beat relating to comfort and fast entry to care, however it isn’t the best channel for all healthcare encounters. The huge variation in affected person expertise is one thing that telehealth suppliers, insurers and public well being officers will wish to hold an in depth eye on.”