Among the many things changed by the COVID pandemic is the rise in telemedicine.
In May of this year, a little more than a quarter of American patients (26%) sought both telemedicine and remote counseling services, versus 21% in November 2021.
Just 8% of patients used telemedicine options exclusively, while only 4% used remote counseling exclusively.
The demand for online healthcare includes both mental and physical health as well, but when given the option to use both, many patients do so.
Out of all the generations we surveyed, members of Generation Z are the most likely to use telemedicine services, with 16% doing so, versus 6% of millennials and bridge millennials. But millennials use remote counseling the most, with 7% of millennial respondents saying they utilize only this digital service.
The share of patients not using remote healthcare services of any kind has simultaneously decreased, falling from 66% in November 2021 to 62% in May 2022. Baby boomers and seniors are the least likely to use remote healthcare services, with 84% of them reporting they don’t use digital services. That’s compared to about a third of Gen Z consumers who say the same.
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Meanwhile, our research found that 41% of patients who live paycheck to paycheck use both telemedicine and remote counseling services, compared to just 15% of patients who do not live paycheck to paycheck.
The portion of patients living paycheck to paycheck that engage in both was just 34% in November 2021, a sign that this segment’s demand for digital health services is on the rise.
Engagement in both telemedicine and remote counseling is most common among patients who live paycheck to paycheck without having to struggle to pay their bills. In addition, these consumers’ usage of digital healthcare services is increasing, with the share of patients engaging in both activities rising from 22% in November 2021 to 24% in May 2022.
To learn more about this topic, download “The Connected Economy™: The Trend Toward Digital Healthcare” report, a PYMNTS and CareCredit collaboration.
