Survey finds doctors willing to embrace telehealth — if it pays

WASHINGTON  — Nearly nine-in-10 family physicians say they would use telehealth to assist in treating their patients if they were compensated for it, according to a survey conducted by the Robert Graham Center for Anthem and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

 

“Telehealth is one of several important technologies highlighted by clinicians and policy makers as a potential strategy to enhance access to primary care and reduce costs, and yet its adoption in primary care has been little studied,” stated Andrew Bazemore, director of the Robert Graham Center. “We welcomed the opportunity to partner with Anthem to study family physicians’ attitudes and opinions about telemedicine and to better understand barriers to and enablers of its use in the primary care delivery system.”

 

The survey suggests that family physicians see telehealth services as having the potential to improve access to primary care services and support continuity of care, though they note additional barriers, including issues with telecommunication training, platforms, reimbursement and licensing. Most of the family physicians surveyed still feel that their patients may prefer to see their doctor face-to-face, but three in four recognize that telehealth is a way to improve access to care for their patients.

 

“It is clear from our findings that reimbursement remains one of the largest barriers to the use of telehealth in primary care,” said Bazemore. “However, this seems to be evolving, at least in the private sector, with several national large private carriers reimbursing doctors in 2016, if not earlier.”

 

About 15% of those who responded to the survey said they used telehealth in their practices. Family physicians reported using telehealth in the following ways:

 

 

Family physicians who have practiced less than 10 years and those who practiced in rural settings were more likely to use telehealth, according to the survey results. Physicians typically provided patient diagnoses and treatment with telehealth services. Those who had used telehealth responded more positively to survey questions on its attributes.

 

Although the majority respondents agreed that telehealth reduces patient travel time and improves access to and continuity of care for patients, telehealth users were more likely to agree. For example, 89% of family physicians who provide telehealth services agreed that they improve access to care for patients, while 77% of non-users also agreed.

 

“The survey results proved to us that family physicians are open-minded and optimistic about the benefits of telehealth and that they are willing to use this technology provided they receive appropriate compensation,” said John Jesser, VP provider engagement for Anthem. “As telehealth gains momentum, more outcomes research and input on the quality, convenience and cost of telemedicine from a patient’s perspective will be needed.”

 

More and more, telehealth is being realized through extended retail partnerships, including MercyCare's recent partnership with Hy-Vee and Walgreens expansion of its telehealth pilot with MDLive. 

 

Earlier this summer, Rite Aid and HealthSpot partnered on 25 telehealth locations in Ohio. 

 

Telehealth is one of several important technologies that have been highlighted by clinicians and policy makers as a potential strategy to enhance access to healthcare and reduce costs.

 

The report focuses on physician attitudes about telehealth, the patient services for which telehealth is most used and the hurdles that impede greater adoption of the technology. Its findings are based on 1,557 family physicians’ responses to a mail survey on beliefs, attitudes and use of telehealth in patient care.