Making a Case for Telehealth: Key Statistics

Worldwide, professionals in the healthcare industry are raving about the benefits of telehealth. The remote capabilities offered by a telehealth platform significantly increase accessibility and convenience for patients and allow physicians to provide care more efficiently. While this is enough to convince more than 70% of healthcare providers, some are still hesitant to make the change. 

For those left-brained thinkers who prefer to base their decisions on the numbers, we’ve got you covered. If you’re still on the fence about embracing telehealth, consider these statistics before making your decision. 

74% of millennials prefer telehealth visits. 

 

Demand for telehealth services is high, particularly with younger generations like millennials. As the COVID-19 pandemic left providers with no choice other than to provide telehealth services, patients got a taste of the convenience it offers. Even with the option for in-person visits now, a vast majority of patients are choosing to stick to remote methods of healthcare. 

40% of millennials also claimed that having a telehealth option with their provider was extremely important. Many respondents even claimed they would be willing to switch providers if their current provider did not offer telehealth services. As millennials now make up the largest segment of today’s workforce, they are the next generation of patients and their preferences cannot be ignored. 

Furthermore, as only 67% of millennials have primary care physicians, offering telehealth services is an excellent way for providers to recruit new patients. By providing telehealth services, healthcare practices can significantly increase their patient numbers. As many practices are still struggling to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic, such a high influx of patients (and customers) could save a practice at risk of going under. 

 

79% of patients find scheduling follow-up visits more convenient with telehealth. 

 

Research shows that clinical outcomes with telehealth are as good or better than traditional care, and it’s likely because it’s more convenient for patients, making them more likely to return for follow-up appointments. As a provider, ensuring that your patients return for follow-ups is critical. The more consistent follow-ups are, the better your patient outcomes will be - particularly for those with chronic and ongoing conditions. 

Patients with chronic conditions require consistent care from their physicians to monitor the progression of their condition and to keep up with prescriptions. Through telehealth, providers can more easily conduct remote home monitoring, assuring that these patients obtain consistent care. For patients at risk, like those living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or congestive heart failure, remote home monitoring ensures that they can get the emergency care they need if their condition becomes critical. 

Even outside of monitoring, telehealth enables communication and counseling with patients, providing psychotherapy as part of behavioral health. Patients can also get prescriptions refilled during telehealth appointments. As it’s easier to obtain and keep up with their medications, patients are more likely to take them as prescribed. 

Because telehealth services are more convenient than traditional methods, 91% of patients report that telehealth would help them stick to appointments, manage prescriptions refills, and follow physician recommendations. As it’s more likely that patients will get the regular care they need, it’s more likely that they will experience improved outcomes in health. 

 

Patients save over 100 minutes of their time with telehealth visits. 

 

Telehealth also serves as a significant time-saver for patients. From a business standpoint, saving patients time may not seem like a financial concern, but it is. In a study, more than 53% of respondents claimed to have left a scheduled doctor’s appointment because the wait was too long. 

If over half of patients skip out on their appointments, practices will face serious issues. Not only will providers waste their time and lose money, but they will also experience poorer patient outcomes. 11% of adults claimed to have a family member whose condition worsened due to postponing or skipping medical care. 

Fortunately, with telehealth, patients can save time. 61% of respondents in the same study said that the time spent in a virtual waiting room was shorter than an in-person visit. With less time in the waiting room and no commute times, patients are much more inclined to show up for their scheduled appointments. In doing so, they get the care they need and save everyone time. 



More than 50% of physicians reported improved satisfaction with their work. 

 

There is no question that the healthcare industry is in crisis right now. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, physicians worldwide were overwhelmed and overworked. Years later, many providers are still battling the lingering burnout from that period, resulting in decreased satisfaction and a physician shortage. 

As telehealth makes treating patients easier and more efficient, over half of physicians in a study claimed to experience improved work satisfaction after implementing telehealth services. Telehealth is instrumental in supporting providers in their workloads, assuring that they can care for patients without becoming overwhelmed. Additionally, as telehealth helps to improve patient outcomes, physicians experience boosted morale as their patients’ health improves. 

While some practices worry that introducing a new telehealth platform will create more work for their already overworked physicians, that isn’t the case. More than 60% of physicians reported that telehealth is easy to use, and 68% said they want to increase the use of telehealth in their practice

 

Telehealth and Medicai

 

As demonstrated in these statistics, hospitals and practices worldwide are reaping the benefits of telehealth services. By implementing telehealth, providers can significantly improve the patient experience by reducing waits, catering to their preferences, and creating better outcomes. Consequently, providers themselves will experience greater work satisfaction, making them more likely to help your practice - and your patients - thrive. 

Medicai strives to bridge the gap between patients and providers, saving both parties time and money. With our telehealth services, healthcare practices can support their physicians and optimize the way they offer care. Between collaboration, communication, and countless services and resources, Medicai delivers the value of telehealth to users worldwide.

 

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About the author - David Arjan

David Arjan is a Growth Marketing Specialist at Medicai. He has a BA degree in Communication and Media Studies from NHL Stenden, and is passionate about digital marketing, healthcare marketing, and healthcare IT and interoperability.