COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nationwide consumer adoption of telehealth services has been stubbornly low, with just 10% of healthcare consumers having used such services. However, among those early adopters who are using telehealth, customer satisfaction with the experience ranks among the highest of any consumer category studied by J.D. Power. According to the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction StudySM released today, telehealth adoption is poised to grow considerably as healthcare consumers continue to use and recommend the service.
“We are looking at telehealth services similar to mobile banking and its early adoption rates,” said Greg Truex, Managing Director, Health Intelligence at J.D. Power. “Early attempts at trying to convince consumers to bank via their phone failed, and initiatives were abruptly canceled. Now, with mobile banking apps having grown to become the third-most-used application among consumers, we expect telehealth to follow a similar path. Telehealth offers an alternative avenue to receive quality care that is cost efficient and accessible. Once providers and payers refine the formula for awareness and adoption, telehealth will change the landscape of how affordable and quality care is delivered.”
Following are some of the key findings of the 2019 study:
- Customer satisfaction with telehealth services is high: The overall customer satisfaction score for telehealth services is 851 (on a 1,000-point scale), and is 900 or higher among 46% of telehealth users. These customer satisfaction scores are among the highest of all healthcare, insurance and financial services industry studies conducted by J.D. Power. Only direct banking customer satisfaction ranks higher, with an average score of 855.
- Positive word of mouth is key to increasing adoption: Nearly two-thirds (65%) of telehealth users used the service because they received a positive recommendation from others: friend, family or colleague (22%); health plan (21%); primary care doctor (20%); employer (18%); or health plan, hospital, or another provider (15%).
- Providers struggle with awareness and adoption: Among consumers who have not used telehealth, 29% indicate that telehealth is not available to them and 37% say they do not know if it is offered by their health provider or health system. Self-reported availability is lowest in rural areas (25%), and is a segment in which telehealth providers could significantly improve with better awareness to quality care.
- Telehealth works for most consumers using the technology: More than three-fourths (84%) of telehealth users were able to completely resolve their medical concern(s) during their visit and 73% did not experience any issues or problems during their service. While nearly half (49%) of users say there were no barriers that made using telehealth difficult, 87% describe the enrollment process as somewhat/very easy.
- Timing is everything: On average, telehealth consumers say their entire experience took an average of 44 minutes: 17 minutes to complete the enrollment process, 9 minutes to wait for a physician or nurse practitioner and 18 minutes for the actual consultation. Currently, telehealth users are relatively dissatisfied with the amount of time the process takes, but providers compensate for it with the quality and convenience of care provided.
Study Rankings
Teladoc ranks highest in telehealth satisfaction among direct-to-consumer brands, with a score of 870. Doctor on Demand (867) ranks second and MDLIVE (847) ranks third.
Humana ranks highest among payers of health plan-provided telehealth services with a score of 864. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (863) ranks second and Cigna (862) ranks third.
The inaugural Telehealth Satisfaction Study measures health consumer satisfaction with their telehealth service experience based on four factors (in order of importance): customer service (45%); consultation (28%); enrollment (19%); and billing and payment (9%). The study is based on responses of 8,296 health consumers who used a telehealth service within the past 12 months. It was fielded in August-September 2019.
For more information about the 2019 Telehealth Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/us-telehealth-study.
See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2019212.
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.
About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info
