Patient acceptance of telehealth services is growing in the US, with 64 percent of patients recently surveyed saying they are willing to consider a video chat with their doctor instead of an in-person visit. The survey conducted by on behalf of telehealth company American Well found that most patients were open to video consults because of the convenience and reduced wait times involved in an e-visit.
The survey of over 2,000 consumers found 63 percent would prefer a video visit to a telephone consultation (30 percent) or email (7 percent). And over 70% said they would rather an e-visit to get a repeat prescription than go through the timely and costly exercise of visiting their doctor.
But 36% of consumers said they were not willing to have a video visit, asking questions like: how would the doctor examine the patient? How can you know if there’s a real doctor on the other side?