Healthgrades Study Finds Patient Confidence is at Highest Levels Since March

Jul 1, 2020

New Data Released from COVID-19 Patient Confidence Study Reinforces Growth of Telehealth Across Nation and Shows that Consumers are More Likely to Choose a Doctor Who Offers Telehealth Services

(July 1, 2020) – Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems, today released the latest data from the COVID-19 Patient Confidence Study, a weekly measure of consumer attitudes and behaviors towards healthcare, in partnership with Infosurv. Since last reported in late May, updated data shows that overall confidence towards visiting the doctor is continuing to increase. Additional findings show that:

  • 83% of consumers are not delaying treatment for their condition, an increase in 11%.
  • 69% of consumers feel comfortable starting a new treatment within the next two months, the highest it has been for the study.
  • 60% of consumers feel comfortable visiting their primary care physician tomorrow for a check-up and 63% feel comfortable visiting a specialist tomorrow, an increase in 5% and 15% respectively.

“Patient confidence in our healthcare system is critical so patients know that they can safely access care and do not delay important appointments and procedures,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “Our latest findings reiterate an increasing level of confidence which is an important factor in a patient’s decision to seek treatment for their conditions and stay healthy.”

The latest COVID-19 Patient Consumer Study data through June 12th is available to download here.

Consumer Behavior is Shifting: New Findings Reinforce Use of Telehealth Services

Since the onset of COVID-19, the overwhelming majority of Americans are now comfortable using telehealth services, even as consumers have returned to their doctor’s office. Findings show: 

  • At least 83% of consumers agree that telehealth can replace some or all of their in-person appointments and are open to interacting with their healthcare provider virtually.
  • 34% of consumers have participated in telehealth in the past three months.

Patient online behavior supports these findings. Currently, there are over 432,000 providers listed on Healthgrades.com that offer telehealth services. Healthgrades.com data shows that consumers are 36% more likely to call a physician who offers telehealth over a physician that does not offer virtual care.

Adoption of telehealth across the U.S. varies, with consumers showing slightly different sentiment depending upon their age and region when it comes to the use of the technology:

  • Consumers in the West and Northeast region were the most likely to use telehealth services, at 29% and 28% respectively.
  • Consumers in the Southwest region are the least likely – at 23% – to use telehealth services.
  • Consumers age 45 and over are more likely to say they are comfortable with telehealth (82% vs. 78%) but are less interested in using it after the COVID-19 pandemic compared to under 45-year olds. 12% of consumers 45+ say they will do less compared to 7% under 45.

“The entire healthcare community is creating a new paradigm for delivering care safely and effectively and telehealth is central to this strategy,” said Brad Graner, General Manager, Marketplace, Healthgrades. “As telehealth is quickly becoming an important way to deliver healthcare, Healthgrades will continue to make meaningful connections between doctors and patients, both online and in the doctor’s office.”

Consumers can now visit Healthgrades.com and search providers who offer virtual visits in a variety of specialties. Virtual visits can also be scheduled with a provider through Healthgrades.com Online Appointment Scheduling feature. Learn more at www.healthgrades.com.

About Healthgrades:

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. At Healthgrades, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their provider of choice. With our scheduling solutions and advanced analytics applications, we help our health system and life sciences clients cultivate new patient relationships, improve patient access, and build customer loyalty. At Healthgrades, better health gets a head start.

About Infosurv:

Infosurv Research (www.infosurv.com) is a boutique research agency based in Atlanta, GA. The company helps clients to design, develop, and deploy strategic research programs that drive insights and growth. With a fierce dedication to understanding and optimizing the customer experience, Infosurv offers tools are services that enable a 360-degree view of your customers through direct feedback, employee engagement, and custom market research.