Telehealth was touted as the next big healthcare trend for years, but it never took off — until 2020. When COVID-19 hit, and most in-person visits were put on hold, telehealth suddenly became the only way to obtain some types of care.
So, tens of millions of patients across the country gave it a whirl. In a 2020 Zocdoc survey, 30% of respondents said they’d tried telehealth for the first time during the early days of the pandemic.
Of that group, 90% said they had a positive experience and would do it again. Research on telehealth use during the pandemic supports high satisfaction among both patients and providers. Telehealth is here to stay, but even with virtual visits, patients still choose doctors located close to home.
Between May 2020 and May 2022, across all specialties excluding mental health, 81% of in- person appointments and 61% of virtual appointments were located less than 20 miles from the patient’s home address. This likely indicates that patients are looking for providers to see on a long-term basis and that, at some point, they expect to see them in person, not just on a screen.
Offer telehealth, if you can. Telehealth doesn’t work for every health issue or service. But if you’re in a specialty where it’s feasible to furnish at least some care virtually, telehealth gives you greater access to an expanded group of new patients.
Most patients who book virtual visits aren’t looking for “telehealth” doctors. Don’t make the mistake of thinking of them as “telehealth” patients.
Make sure patients know you offer telehealth. Then give them an easy way to book visits. It should be obvious to patients when they’re booking virtual vs. in-person care. Finally, choose a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform that makes the virtual visit process as seamless and simple as possible. (Yes, all of this is done for you if you join Zocdoc.)
It’s important to think of telehealth as an additional entry point to in-person care, not a distinct category of care or a funnel for one-off visits.