Press Release: Survey Finds Americans Overwhelmingly Want Greater Access to Telemedicine Beyond COVID-19 Crisis
Many Patients Relying on Telemedicine During Crisis; Vast Majority Support Permanent Changes That Would Expand Access Beyond Pandemic
By Americans for a Modern Economy
June 2, 2020
A new survey released today by Americans for a Modern Economy (AME) found that 75 percent of Americans are at least somewhat likely to use telemedicine services beyond the COVID-19 pandemic while 70 percent support permanent policy changes that would expand access to these services.
“For many years, the healthcare system has lagged advancements seen in other sectors from efficiency and productivity viewpoints”, said Dr. S. Scott Davis, Co-Medical Director of Perioperative Services at Emory University Hospital and Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of General & GI Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. “There are several instances where groundwork for an efficient doctor visit, particularly for providers who provide specialized care which may not be local to the patient, would save redundant effort and unnecessary travel.”
The survey revealed that the surge in support for telemedicine may likely be that Americans are growing more comfortable with remote care amid the crisis, as 30 percent of respondents said they have used telemedicine since the pandemic started.
Additionally, the survey found that convenience (31 percent) was the leading factor driving interest in using telemedicine, followed by ability to see their doctor (24 percent), cost and reimbursement (24 percent) and quality of care (21 percent). A summary of key findings included:
75 percent of respondents said they are now at least somewhat likely to use telemedicine services in the future.
70 percent of respondents said they support making permanent changes to Medicare that have been temporarily issued to cover copays for telemedicine.
30 percent of respondents said they have used telemedicine since the COVID-19 outbreak began.
31 percent of respondents said convenience was the leading factor driving their interest in using telemedicine.
44 percent of respondents said they would be willing to use telemedicine with a different doctor if their primary doctor only offered in-person care.
59 percent of respondents said they were likely to consider using telemedicine for primary care.
AME fielded a nationwide poll online of 1,048 adults between May 5-6, 2020, utilizing SurveyMonkey to gauge shifting attitudes toward telemedicine amid COVID-19. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent and was balanced against U.S. census data.