NPR conducted a study gaining rural patients’ insight on telehealth
Jackie Drees’s article published on beckershospitalreview.com provides a great overview of a recent NPR survey. This NPR report was titled Life in Rural America- Part II. The survey was administered for NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The sample for this survey consisted of 1,405 adults over the age of 18 living in the rural United States.
The participants in this study were asked about telehealth services.
About 25 percent of rural adults who participated in the study reported that they have used telehealth for their healthcare within the last few years. Those who have used telehealth services in the survey reported high satisfaction with their telehealth experience.
Of around one-quarter of participants that use telehealth 14% say they received diagnosis or treatment from a medical professional via email, text messaging, live chat text, mobile app, or live video (such as Skype). 15% said they have received a diagnosis or treatment via a telephone call.
If the participants reported using telehealth services, they were asked why they used it. Most listed (69%) that it was the most convenient way to get a diagnosis or treatment. 30% reported that they couldn’t see a doctor in person. Another 26% said it was too hard to travel to see a doctor in person.
An overwhelming majority of the participants reported satisfaction with their telehealth service experiences. 89% of telehealth patients who used live video/email/text/app were satisfied with their experience. 90% of patients who received their service through a telephone call were satisfied.
The rest of the healthcare world suggests that telehealth service use will only rise within the next few years. Telehealth services will be particularly helpful to rural patients across America since rural communities face the difficulties of hospitals closing and a lack of healthcare providers.