As we noted previously, telehealth is taking off. (See 1 and 2.) Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to study patient satisfaction with telehealth in 2020. While looking to the future.
J.D. Power Survey: Patient Satisfaction with Telehealth in 2020
Recently, J.D. Power released the results of its 2020 study on patient satisfaction with telehealth. According to J.D. Power:
Telehealth has emerged as a bright spot in the “new normal.” By giving patients the ability to meet virtually with healthcare providers from the safety and comfort of home. However, the technology still experiences growing pains. According to J.D. Power, satisfaction with telehealth services has increased during the pandemic. Nonetheless, several barriers to access still exist for many patients, including those most at risk.
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- Great patient experience: The overall customer satisfaction score for telehealth services is 860 (on a 1,000-point scale). That is among the highest of all healthcare, insurance, and financial services industry studies conducted by J.D. Power.
- Barriers to access persist: Telehealth is pitched as a solution to improve access to healthcare for everyone. However, over half (52%) of telehealth users say they encountered at least one barrier to using telehealth. The most common hurdle: Limited services (24%). Confusing technology requirements (17%). And lack of awareness of cost (15%). Additionally, 35% of telehealth users indicate they experienced a problem during a visit. Tech audio issues (26%) are the most common problem.
- At-risk patients have lower levels of satisfaction: Overall satisfaction is 117 points lower among patients with the lowest self-reported health status than among patients who consider themselves in excellent health. Similarly, healthier patients are significantly more likely to understand the information provided during the visit, receive clear explanations, feel their visits are highly personalized, and obtain a high-quality diagnosis.
- Safety becomes a top driver of utilization: Among patients who used telehealth this year, 46% say their top reason was safety. That compares with just 13% in 2019.
The first chart shows the satisfaction with direct-to-consumer firms.
The second chart shows the satisfaction with insurance providers..
