Forty-seven percent of patients were not confident they could man the technology needed for telehealth care access, a survey showed.
Patients over age 50 are reticent about telehealth care access, with nearly 80 percent harboring some sort of concern about the video visit technology, according to the National Poll on Healthy Aging.
The poll, which included responses from nearly 2,250 adults ages 50 to 80, found that patients over age 50 might need more support and education from their providers to understand the risks and benefits of telehealth.
“As telehealth finally appears poised to live up to its potential, with insurance reimbursement in place or set to begin soon under many plans, and providers increasingly investing in systems, these poll data show a need to focus on the patient side,” says Jacob Kurlander, MD, MS, a U-M and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System gastroenterology specialist and telehealth researcher who helped lead the poll. “As the industry moves forward, we should heed the concerns and preferences of our patients, especially those over age 50, who use the most health care.”
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Currently, only about 4 percent of adults ages 50 to 80 have had a telehealth video visit at any point in their lives, revealed the survey, conducted in partnership between the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and the AARP.
Instead, more than half of patients didn’t even know if their providers offered access to telehealth video visits.
What’s more, patients were dubious of the technology, questioning whether telehealth could yield the same high-quality care patients experience during in-person visits.
Over 80 percent of respondents harbored at least one concern about telehealth video visits, with 47 percent citing fears that they would not be able to work the technology. Seventy-one percent of respondents were concerned their providers couldn’t effectively conduct a physical exam over video visit, while 68 percent did not know if a video visit would be of the same quality as in-person care.
There may be some substance to those concerns, the researchers conceded. Of the limited number of respondents who had used telehealth video visits before, 58 percent said video visits were not as high-quality as in-person visits.
Patients did not write off video visits altogether, despite their trepidation, the survey showed. Sixty-four percent of patients said they would try telehealth if they got sick while traveling, and 58 percent said they’d use it for a return visit.
Fifty-five percent said telehealth could be useful for one-off follow-up care and 48 percent said they’d try it with their primary care providers.
Fewer said they’d use telehealth video visits for more complex needs, like when a new health concern arises (34 percent) or when they have a mental health concern (28 percent).
“Telehealth won’t replace in-person medical examinations completely, but for situations where in-person visits aren’t essential, they can save time and resources for patients and providers alike,” said Preeti Malani, MD, the poll’s director and a professor of internal medicine at U-M. “Providers shouldn’t assume older adults aren’t receptive to virtual visits, but they should understand and work to overcome some of the reasons for hesitation.”
These results come as the medical industry finally becomes more amenable to telehealth visits, the researchers pointed out. Technology has advanced to a point where it is feasible for many providers to conduct their treatments via video visit.
And going into 2020, Medicare Advantage HMO plans will be able to reimburse for telehealth and remote patient care. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has also announced plans to deliver more care via telehealth, especially for veterans who might live a long distance from a VA medical center, the U-M researchers reported.
The poll’s results should not dissuade providers from taking advantage of the technology, especially considering the support telehealth can give for patient care access. Instead, they must address concerns with older patient populations and target patient education efforts toward helping patients understand the benefits of telehealth.
“Many older Americans can benefit from being able to get care through telehealth without long trips to their doctor’s office,” Alison Bryant, PhD, senior vice president of research for AARP, explained. “Telehealth allows people to schedule health-related appointments, request prescription refills, and link to health care providers when time or distance is a barrier. It can also support family caregivers who are taking care of their loved ones.”
Sameer Saini, MD, MS, leader of a Michigan Program on Value Enhancement (MPrOVE) Innovation Challenge project about telehealth, agreed. Establishing an evidence base for patient education and patient-provider communication about telehealth use will be helpful for sparking future adoption.
“Especially for patients with mobility and transportation issues, who live in rural areas, or who live far from specialty care providers, telehealth could be an important improvement in access,” Saini, who is also a U-M gastroenterologist and VA Center for Clinical Management Research acting director, said. “But we will need evidence-based approaches to sustain and increase participation.”
Date: october 04, 2019
Source: Patient Engagement Hit