During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients became more aware of powerful options for accessing care and subsequently, the healthcare landscape may be irrevocably changed.
Everything from self-scheduling to precheck to seeing the dental provider in a virtual setting is not only possible, but seems to be practical and the preference for most patients.
According to a new survey in the United States (US) conducted by the Harris Poll, on behalf of NextGen Healthcare, more than half of US patients (53%) say the pandemic changed how they want to communicate with their doctor. Notably, nearly half (48%) indicate they would switch to a different healthcare provider if their current provider did not offer telehealth appointments.
Pandemic changes what patients expect from their doctor
The online survey of more than 2,000 US adults, including 1,733 who typically see a healthcare provider annually, generated insights into their experiences and preferences related to online healthcare tools, including:
Telehealth is here to stay. An overwhelming majority of US patients who received telehealth services since March 2020 (84%) plan to continue using telehealth appointments in the future, citing reasons such as convenience (43%) or to avoid being around people who are ill (39%). Other insights include:
- Telehealth can lead to better overall health by facilitating necessary ongoing and follow-up treatment: more than half of US patients (57%) say they would be more likely to get follow-up medical care if telehealth appointments were an option
- Nearly seven in 10 US patients (69%) have seen a healthcare provider via telehealth since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with 46% meeting with a primary care physician (PCP) and 19% meeting with a mental healthcare provider. US patients have also seen a women’s health provider (15% of women), ophthalmologist (9%), and orthopaedist (7%) via telehealth
Online access is a must. Nearly six in 10 US patients (58%) would like to have more online access to their healthcare provider. Age plays a role in this: patients from 18 to 54 are significantly more likely than patients 55 and older to say they would like to have more online access to their healthcare provider (68% vs 43%). Topping the list of most important online services patients would look for if seeking a new provider are:
- online appointment scheduling (49%)
- ability to check-in or complete health forms/appointment paperwork online before an appointment (49%)
- online prescription management (48%)
- online medical records access (47%)
“We saw a tremendous surge in demand for digital communication capabilities during the pandemic — in fact, we enabled our network of more than 100,000 providers nationwide to engage in over 1.5m virtual visits from March to December 2020 through our large enterprise and small practice solutions,” said John Beck, chief solutions officer for NextGen Healthcare. “These survey results confirmed that patients’ overall expectations for healthcare have shifted permanently. Integrated healthcare technology is good for the patient and good for the practice.”
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the US by The Harris Poll on behalf of NextGen Healthcare from 25 to 29 March 2021 among 2,055 US adults ages 18 and older, among whom 1,733 are patients (defined as those who see a healthcare provider once a year or more often).
This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact NextGen Healthcare.