High patient satisfaction is set to drive increased use of telehealth services even after lockdown restrictions are lifted, according to research from HealthHero.
The research found that 82 per cent of patients found the technology easy or very easy to use, with just 5 per cent finding it difficult or very difficult, and 33 per cent of people said they will continue to use remote healthcare from now on.
Research from the provider found that of those who had a remote GP appointment during the pandemic, 58 per cent were hugely positive about the experience.
The report also found that 34 per cent of UK adults deliberately avoided making an in-person GP appointment due to Covid-19, with 45 per cent saying they did so because they did not ‘want to burden the NHS’.
A further 29 per cent stated that they felt they shouldn’t make an appointment because of the government’s ‘Protect the NHS’ message.
Dr Chris Morris, Medical Director at HealthHero and practising GP says: “The scale of the pandemic’s impact on behaviour is only beginning to be determined, but what has become apparent over the past few months is how COVID-19’s rapid escalation caused people to modify and change their behaviour towards the NHS almost overnight.
“While our research does show some concerning impacts of that speed it also highlights that there is a real opportunity to transform healthcare provision for the better. As the NHS turns its attention to the mammoth job of vaccination rollouts, remote healthcare apps and services can really come into their own, removing some of the burden from the NHS and supporting patients with whatever other health concerns may have taken a backseat due to Covid-19.”