Individuals older than 65 expressed less interest in home health than their caregivers and younger people did in survey results released Wednesday by CareCentrix.
Those older than 65 who took part in the Health-at-Home 2020 survey expressed the least interest in home health (50%), whereas caregivers for older adults had the highest level of interest (76%). Adults aged fewer than 40 years also had a high degree of interest in receiving health at home (67%).
Overall, however, 40% of consumers who took part in the research said they expect to receive more services at home in the next year than they otherwise would receive at a facility, and 63% of those surveyed said they would prefer to obtain healthcare at home if the alternative is a trip to a doctor’s office, hospital or skilled nursing facility.
The report includes findings from a commissioned survey of 1,000 consumers by Quadrant and 76 health plan executives by KRC Research. Among other findings:
- 73% of all consumers who responded said they prefer to recover at home versus at a medical facility after a major medical event.
- 97% of payer participants said they agree that the trend toward moving healthcare to the home is in the best interest of insurers and members alike.
- Two out of three consumer respondents said they have skipped or delayed seeking in-person medical treatment this year, and COVID-19 was the most common reason why.
- 74% of consumer participants noted interest in future telehealth appointments, indicating that telehealth adoption will continue to grow.
“Getting health at home is still a new concept to many people,” study authors said, pointing out that only 9% of respondents said they have received an in-person, at-home visit with a doctor or other clinician.
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