- A large annual survey has been tracking parents’ views of telemedicine for years
- This year saw a surge in popularity: two-thirds hope to use Skype visits
- Most parents cited lengthy wait times, and knowing more about telemedicine
Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com
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Most parents plan to ditch doctor visits in favor of Skype check-ups in 2017, a large survey suggests.
Researchers at Nemours Children’s Health System spoke to 2,000 mothers and fathers in a nationally-representative study about so-called telemedicine.
They found that more than 64 percent of parents plan to use the method if they can find a clinic that offers it – even though few of them had tried it. That is an increase of 125 percent since 2014.
Most cited unpredictable wait times as the biggest reason for turning against clinic visits.
The report is the latest to mark telemedicine’s growing swell of popularity. The latest figures from the American Telemedicine Association show more than 15 million people used the service last year. That is projected to rocket to at least 27 million people by 2020.
However, medical groups are urging patients to keep in mind that symptoms are difficult to communicate virtually.
A large annual survey has been tracking parents’ views of telemedicine for years. This year saw a surge in popularity: two-thirds hope to use Skype visits for them and their children in 2017
Dads surveyed were more likely to have already used telemedicine services for themselves or their children (33.9 percent), compared to moms (21.7 percent).
Among parents who have tried an online doctor visit for their child, nearly all of them (97.5 percent) rated the experience as equal to or better than an in-office visit.
Parents said they are most willing to use telehealth services for cold and flu (58 percent), pink eye (51 percent), and rashes (48 percent), in addition to well-child visits (41 percent).
According to the CDC, acute childhood ailments, such as these, accounted for an estimated 171 million in-office visits in 2012 for children under 18.
Conversely, parents said they are more reluctant to consider telemedicine for treating chronic conditions.
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Those surveyed said they likely would never consider using telehealth services for diabetes (53 percent), asthma (43 percent), and ADHD (36 percent).
Despite this hesitation, previous research published in Pediatrics has shown that these conditions that necessitate chronic care can be effectively treated through telemedicine.
Many parents report that work schedules and time pressures create problems for securing in-office appointments.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents are likely to spend an average of 30 hours on well-child visits during their child’s first five years alone.
In the poll, parents who have used telemedicine cited convenience, after-hours accessibility, and immediacy as the top three reasons for doing so.
A vast majority (74.7 percent) of these parents rated the experience as superior to an in-office doctor visit.
Jesse Smith of Orlando used Nemours CareConnect when her five-year-old son Parker became ill on a weekend.
‘The entire process from registering to connecting with the doctor was quick and easy. The care my son received was just what I’d expect from an in-office visit but we were able to do it all from my couch. I will definitely use the service again,’ said Jones.
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