West Palm Beach, FL – Americans are embracing telehealth in the face of COVID-19 and that desire for online access to care will outlast the pandemic. That’s among many findings in a new report by Primacy, an award-winning digital agency specializing in healthcare marketing and communications.
In an effort to identify new challenges and business opportunities for healthcare organizations as a result of the novel coronavirus, Primacy strategists and researchers conducted online surveys of adults in multiple U.S. markets, including New York, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Kansas. More than 600 responses were captured over March 28 and 29, 2020. The analysis of the findings, implications for healthcare marketers and action items are detailed in the accompanying report, published in April of 2020.
“Digital health has been a lifeline in this pandemic for patients seeking care as well as for physicians and healthcare systems seeking to maintain their practices, services, and viable revenue streams,” said Kathleen Ahern, Vice President of Healthcare Strategy at Primacy. “We believe that from now on, consumers will consider the availability of telehealth a key criterion when researching and choosing new providers.”
Among key findings in the survey:
· 51 percent report COVID-19 led to the cancellation of a healthcare appointment. Of those, 85 percent plan to reschedule after the pandemic has passed.
· 63% indicate that after the crisis subsides, they will have serious concerns about returning to a hospital due to fears about infection control.
· 53% report the same infection control concerns when they think of returning to their physician’s office.
· 78% of respondents indicate they would like their primary care physician to offer virtual visits, and 26% would like to see a specialist online, and 16% want telehealth of mental or behavioral health.
Other survey findings were encouraging and showed an increased appetite for healthcare providers to communicate directly with consumers. Nearly half of surveyed respondents would prefer updates via email, and 18% showed a willingness for text message communications with their healthcare providers. Interestingly, healthcare provider websites were nearly tied with online news outlets as being valuable sources of information related to COVID19.
Primacy has made the full survey results and report available at their website here https://www.theprimacy.com/coronavirus-and-the-future-of-healthcare-marketing (email required), including data insights for four audience segments, implications for business, brand and reputation, and communications professionals, direct quotes from respondents, and action-items for healthcare marketers looking to recovery.
About Primacy:
Primacy is a digital agency. Comprised of a highly collaborative and data-focused team of strategy, marketing, design, and technology experts, we believe every moment of a customer journey is an opportunity to prove value. Together with our clients, we create smarter experiences that connect with people during meaningful moments.
Clients include Aetna, Boston College, Cornell University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, The Hartford, HMR Program, Meemic Insurance Company, Middlesex Health, MIT, Mutual of Omaha, Rice University, SCAN Health Plan, University College London, Tufts Medical Center, UChicago Medicine, University of Vermont Health Network, and more.