Growth in Telehealth Market will be Accelerated by Health Plans and Providers Working to Increase Consumer Trust

Telehealth has undergone a transition from pandemic era lifeline to convenient outlet for routine follow-ups, treatment of minor illnesses and mental health services. As utilization volumes normalized post-pandemic, we have continued to see a clear trend toward telehealth adoption for routine care and ongoing mental health visits.   

Why are patients choosing telehealth? 

The bulk of patients are selecting telehealth services for a combination of reasons, including convenience, accessibility and saving time. While telehealth is suitable for routine follow-ups and other services, in-person care remains the preference for more serious conditions, initial diagnoses and procedures. However, convenience and ability to receive care quickly help position telehealth services as viable alternative treatment options. 

Do patients trust telehealth services? 

The J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study highlights the importance of trust in generating greater patient adoption of telehealth services. Trust is the most impactful core dimension driving overall satisfaction among consumers, attributed at 18%. This presents an important opportunity for focused improvement, however, as trust is also the lowest performing dimension according to respondents this past year (685 index points versus the top core dimension, people/clinical staff, at 718 index points).   

Are there generational differences in Trust? 

At the generational level, Boomers+ voice the lowest levels of trust at 673 index points, followed by Gen X at 676 index points. Gen Y/Z voiced a slightly higher level of trust at 697 index points. Part of these generational differences are attributed to ease of use of Telehealth (via the website and/or app), including researching options, scheduling an appointment, using the technology, finding information and features that consumers need, and ease of use in navigation.   

Understanding each population segment’s unique relationship with technology and their expectations can help improve engagement for an easier telehealth experience. 

How can telehealth providers reduce user pain points? 

Level of trust is also impacted by barriers that consumers experience while accessing and utilizing telehealth to meet their healthcare needs.   

The top 5 barriers, in rank order of prevalence in the 2023 study, were: 

1) limited services 

2) internet/cell difficulties 

3) lack of knowledge of medical history  

4) data security issues  

5) lack of provider's information  

Identifying and reducing barriers to telehealth usage increases overall satisfaction. In fact, satisfaction is significantly higher for those who have no barriers when using telehealth versus those who experience at least one barrier.  

The competitive landscape for telehealth is intense with big opportunities for growth in the imminent future. Health plans and providers that want to compete in this expanding service should assess their organization’s performance against these key drivers of telehealth satisfaction to identify performance gaps and chart a course for continuous improvement. 

To learn more about how J.D. Power can help, contact us today.