Patient preferences for direct-to-consumer telemedicine services: Replication and extension of a nationwide survey (Preprint)

Abstract

A 2017 survey of patient perspectives showed overall willingness and comfort to use telemedicine, but low actual use. Given recent growth and widespread exposure of patients to telemedicine, patient preferences are likely to have changed.

This study aimed to (1) identify demographic trends in patient preferences and experiences; (2) measure ease of use and satisfaction of telemedicine; and (3) measure changes in telemedicine use, willingness, and comfort since 2017.

We replicated a 2017 study with a nationwide survey of U.S. adults. The survey, an extended version of the previous study, measured patient health care access as well as knowledge, experiences, and preferences regarding telemedicine encounters. We recruited participants using SurveyMonkey Audience in July 2022. We used descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations to measure change and identify trends.

We accrued 4,577 complete responses. Patient experience with telemedicine was substantially higher in 2022 than in 2017, with 61.1% (versus 5.3%) of participants aware that their primary care provider (PCP) offered telemedicine and 34.5% (versus 3.5%) reporting use of telemedicine with their PCP. This study also reported ease of use and satisfaction rates to be similar to in-person visits, while overall willingness and comfort in using telemedicine increased from 2017. Individuals at the poverty line were significantly less likely to report satisfaction with telemedicine visits. We found increased interpersonal distance in a patient-provider relationship significantly reduced patient ease of use, willingness, and comfort in using telemedicine.

This study identified an association between income and patient satisfaction, conveying the importance of understanding telemedicine in relation to health care access and equity. Telemedicine ease of use and satisfaction were comparable to in-person visits. Individuals reported greater use and higher positive perceptions of telemedicine willingness and comfort since 2017.