Covid-19 causes a shift in patient attitudes toward care
Accenture’s July survey reveals that patients are keen to embrace digital healthcare
Detailing that nine out of 10 patients felt that the healthcare they received from their providers during the pandemic was good or better than it was beforehand, Accenture’s latest survey uncovered that patients had highly positive experiences using video calls and devices for guidance and monitoring, and want to continue their use post-pandemic.
Forty-seven per cent of the 2,700 respondents surveyed noted that they had a better, more personalised response, 41 per cent reported a quicker response, and 40 per cent said that new communication channels had provided them with more convenient access to healthcare.
Also, through identifying that 70 per cent of patients deferred or cancelled treatments due to the Covid-19 pandemic; that one out of five patients switched to a different therapy due to Covid-19, while nearly half considered making a change; that 82 per cent of patients said that they felt at least slightly afraid; that 16 per cent were very afraid of possible exposure during a visit to their healthcare provider; and that 77 per cent of patients had their clinical trials suspended or delayed due to Covid-19, Accenture revealed that more patients have been actively seeking treatment from the comfort of their home and taking charge of their healthcare.
Indeed, Accenture details that 60 per cent of patients want to use technology more for communicating with healthcare providers and managing their conditions; that 41 per cent of patients used video conferencing to communicate with their healthcare providers about treatment – for many of them, this was their first-time using video calls for healthcare (70 per cent); and that 44 per cent of patients used new devices or apps to help manage conditions remotely during Covid-19.
Accenture’s findings certainly seem to further validate the continuous upward trend of telehealth, as well as other forms of digital care. By the looks of it, telehealth is in it for the long haul. Furthermore, any initiative that encourages patients to take a more empowered approach to their own healthcare will help enhance the preventative care movement – increasingly important as the World Health Organization has reported an ageing global population, and that chronic diseases are on the rise.
Read Accenture’s report in full here.