They’re not reinventing the wheel, but telehealth company Wheel is rolling out a new version of its care platform following an internal study that virtual health is becoming more and more popular among patients.
Nine out of 10 adults who have used virtual care plan on continuing that service in some form, Wheel’s new survey states. In addition, two out of three respondents said they would be open to using virtual care from a retail drugstore chain.
“Consumerization of care is here,” Wheel CEO and co-founder Michelle Davey said in a statement. “People have made it clear they’re placing a higher value on their health and they’re demanding healthcare experiences that make it easy to get care on their terms.”
One important caveat exists, however. The study showed that “young people [aged 18-44] are more open to virtual care than other age groups,” with that cohort 19% more likely to seek preventive care from a virtual visit than are older adults.
Another recent study from J.D. Power clarified this trend even further, indicating that older adults showed significantly less satisfaction with their telehealth experiences.
“We are seeing some significant barriers to adoption in some populations, particularly among older patients,” Christopher Lis, managing director of global healthcare intelligence at J.D. Power, said in a statement. “They’re struggling with digital channels and having challenges with access and ease of use.”
The satisfaction gap was particularly wide in relation to appointment scheduling and using digital channels, indicating that older adults still are having a more difficult time using virtual interfaces, the company said.
This finding falls in line with surveys taken earlier this year that showed that older adults preferred in-person visits now that the pandemic period has passed.
In addition, many caregivers and clinicians caring for older adults themselves were concerned about relying on telehealth due to older adults’ complex medical needs, another recent survey showed.
