American Well® 2015 Telehealth Survey: 64% of Consumers Would See a Doctor Via Video

A survey of U.S. consumers found that 64 percent of Americans are willing to have doctor visits via video telehealth. The nationally projectable survey of 2,019 Americans age 18+ was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of American Well® in December. The survey uncovered key factors important to consumers when it comes to telehealth:

• Video. Consumers perceive video as the best form of telehealth: 63 percent of consumers believe that live video visits are more likely to yield an accurate diagnosis than phone or email alone. Among smartphone users, this sentiment was higher at 69 percent. These views are corroborated by statistics recorded on American Well’s telehealth service, Amwell™, where 94 percent of visits use live video.

• Consumer Choice. Consumers want to select the doctor they see, not be randomly assigned to one; 88 percent prefer to choose a doctor based on the credentials, training, and experience provided in a physician’s online profile.

• Cost. Consumers expect online visits to be cost-savers; 62 percent thought a video visit should cost less than an in-person visit. With in-office visits costing, on average, $82 for first-time patients according to the Healthcare Blue Book, Amwell offers a $49 physician visit – a savings of $33.

The survey found evidence that telehealth will change the way healthcare is delivered in three key areas:

• After hours care. Consumers still consider the ER as their first choice for late night urgent care; however, video visits have now become the second choice overall for consumers if their child or a loved one was sick with a high fever, ranking higher than 24-hour nurse lines. Moreover, 21 percent of people said they would do a video visit first. That number rises to 30 percent in parents of children under 18.

• Primary Care. 70 percent of consumers report that they’d rather have an online video visit than an in-office visit to obtain common primary care prescriptions. Consumers indicate interest in telehealth visits for getting prescriptions refilled (60 percent), antibiotics (41 percent), and chronic condition management medication (40 percent).

• Choosing a Doctor. A majority of patients say they are willing to see a doctor via video telehealth (64 percent), and 7 percent of consumers say they would actually switch primary care doctors to ones that offer telehealth visits. While 7 percent may seem like a modest number, it represents 20 million[1]  Among the millennial generation, young adults 18-34 years old, this number was higher, at 11 percent.

• Download the American Well Telehealth Index: Consumer Survey 2015
• Download the Infographic
• Read more on the American Well Blog

About American Well
American Well is the nation’s largest telehealth operator, and brings quality healthcare into the homes and workplaces of patients. The Company’s web and mobile telehealth platform connects patients with their choice of clinicians for immediate, live visits. American Well, Amwell, and Amwell Therapy Associates are trademarks of American Well Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners. For more information, visit www.americanwell.com.

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of American Well Corporation from December 1-3, 2014 among 2,019 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact catherine.anderson@americanwell.com.

[1] United States Census Bureau and Harris Poll Data