July 26, 2018

Nearly 40% of consumers interested in digital communication with medical professional

Speakers at Connected Health Summit to discuss expanding reach and functionality of virtual visits

Health research from Parks Associates shows nearly 60% of U.S. broadband households are interested in remotely interacting with medical professionals under certain circumstances but they would strongly favor solutions that provide real-time communication. Nearly 40% of U.S. broadband households are interested in communicating digitally with medical professionals via phone call or online voice chat, while nearly one-third are interested in online video chat and a similar percentage are interested in secure email. Parks Associates will address the convergence of medical technology and connected health at Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers, August 28-30 in San Diego.

“Virtual care can save costs, increase independent living options, and expand healthcare to remote and rural areas. However, consumers are concerned about the tradeoff in sacrificing the direct interaction with their doctors,” said Kristen Hanich, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. “Consumers want a method of communicating directly with their healthcare providers, without getting stuck in an answering service or having to wait too long for a response. They expect prompt and relatively brief communication with medical professionals.”

Parks Associates reports that more than 70% of consumers who are interested in real-time communication with medical professional would consider 15 minutes to be the maximum wait time ahead of an online video chat or phone call. Almost 90% of these consumers consider a visit lasting less than 30 minutes to be “reasonable.”

“We will discuss new business models and consumer expectations for remote care and virtual visits at Connected Health Summit,” Hanich said. “As care organizations begin to consider virtual care an extension of their current systems, the traditional per-member-per-month fee is gradually being replaced by white-labeled SaaS licensing, or even transactional revenue-sharing with vendors that provide after-hour care services.”

The fifth-annual Connected Health Summit provides in-depth analysis and discussion on the implications of the connected healthcare revolution and the resulting consumerization of healthcare.

In the session “Virtual Visits: Expanding Reach and Functionality,” 4:30 p.m. on August 29, industry experts will explore partnerships that will improve the virtual care experience for both patients and practitioners as well as the new technologies and services that will strengthen the virtual-visit solution. Speakers include:

• Andrew Altorfer, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CirrusMD
• Peter Antall, Chief Medical Officer, American Well
• David Bardan, VP of Provider Solutions, Tyto Care
• Chuck Hector, Chief Sales Officer, MDLIVE, Inc.
• Prentiss Taylor M.D., VP of Medical Affairs, Doctor On Demand
   

Registration is open, and media are invited to attend. For more information, visit www.connectedhealthsummit.com.

About Connected Health Summit: Consumer Engagement and Innovation

Connected Health Summit, hosted by international research firm Parks Associates, is an executive conference focused on the impact of connected devices and IoT healthcare solutions on consumers at home. In its tenth year, Connected Health Summit brings senior industry leaders together from all aspects of the consumer experience ecosystems to provide insights on new business models, IoT technologies, consumer behaviors, and deployments relevant to consumer healthcare solutions.

The conference features Parks Associates quarterly consumer readdresses opportunities for new solutions in the care giving and senior markets and the wellness markets. This includes smart home platforms, on-demand services, voice assistants, and wearables, to empower consumers, caregivers, and providers and to meet the growing demand for services in independent living, chronic care management, remote access to care, and wellness and fitness solutions. www.connectedhealthsummit.com

Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Health_Smt.