IoT research firm Parks Associates has released new connected health research overview of consumer trends in on-demand virtual care, including visiting physician services and remote care.
The report, 360 View Update: On-Demand Care: The Patient Wants to See You Now, examines the types of services consumers are most interested in, the demographics reporting the greatest interest in these services, and self-reported consumer satisfaction rates. The research also pays special attention to consumer interaction preferences and usage of digital communication technologies for on-demand care.
Additional data from the research reveals six consumer trends in on-demand virtual care to watch:
1. More than 20% of U.S. broadband households have used websites or apps to communicate with a medical professional in the past 12 months.
2. More than 70% of consumers would wait no more than 15 minutes when reaching out to medical professionals for real-time voice or video consultations
3. Almost 90% consider a call lasting less than 30 minutes to be reasonable.
4. 70% of consumers using text messaging and secure email would prefer a response within two hours.
5. Almost 9% of U.S. broadband households are using technology to track their sleep.
6. 12% of U.S. broadband households own a digital pedometer or fitness tracker with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.
“On-demand care models have strong potential to grow because consumers express a strong interest in real-time interactions with doctors remotely or virtually,” said Harry Wang, Senior Director of Research, Parks Associates. “To scale these models from acute but non-emergent care episodes to broader patient-care provider engagement use cases, providers and their technology partners must improve customer experiences, including managing consumer expectations about wait time, service quality, and length of engagement.”
Industry-leading executives will join Parks Associates at the 21st-annual CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference, May 23-25 in San Francisco, to discuss how digital health technologies allow for personalized experiences for consumers through on-demand services.