News: Telehealth considered complementary to in-person care, survey shows

While telehealth has made care more accessible, especially at the height of the pandemic, a recent survey shows both patient and provider see such virtual visits as helpful but not a replacement to in-person visits. This survey was conducted by Zocdoc, a telehealth scheduling company, and taken by patients and care providers between May 2020 and May 2022. It also tracked the rate of telehealth visits throughout that time period, HealthLeaders reported. Findings showed that virtual care made up about one-third of all visits in 2020 but has since declined to about 17% as of May 2022.

Patients reported that the main benefits of telehealth are its convenience, relieving the burden of taking time off work or school to travel. Thirty one percent also stated that they felt it easier to build a relationship with a provider via telehealth due to its decreased level of formality as well as the comfortability of being in one’s own home. Healthcare providers said telehealth gives them an opportunity to see a patient’s home environment, routines, and possible stressors that can aid diagnosis and treatment.

Both agreed, however, that distractions abound during virtual visits. According to the survey, 58% of providers also said examinations were more difficult to conduct via telehealth and 25% said some care simply could not be provided at all without an in-person examination. In contrast to patients, 37% of providers said relationships were more difficult to build with patients virtually and only 7% said it was easier.

The one exception to all this, however, is mental health services. In May 2020, virtual services made up 74% of all mental health appointments, but the survey showed that number has only increased since, first to 85% in May 2021 and now to 87% in May 2022. Due to the nature of mental healthcare, with more frequent appointments and less physical examination required than other care, the convenience patients find with telehealth visits is much more prevalent.

Based on the data, the survey recommended health system executives highlight the benefits of telehealth care and visits as a part of the healthcare process and a convenient option when appropriate, but not as a total replacement for in-person visits.

Editor’s Note: To read HealthLeaders’ coverage of this topic, click here.  To read the full survey results from Zocdoc, click here. To read more about the topic of telehealth, click here.