Most not familiar with telemedicine but interested

Only 3 percent of consumers have used a telemedicine service and approximately two-thirds of are unfamiliar with telemedicine, but after hearing a brief description, the majority indicated they would want to try a video consultation, according to a survey from :DentalPlans.

The survey gathered responses from more than 6,800 individuals of whom 68 percent said they were unfamiliar with telemedicine. Those individuals were then given a brief description of telemedicine, "being able to speak to a healthcare professional by phone or over the internet…get a diagnosis, advice on managing the issue and, if applicable, prescriptions for certain types of non-narcotic drugs," and 59 percent said they would want to try it out.

The following are the top reasons respondents gave to try telemedicine:

• Individuals can receive medical care without traveling to a healthcare facility (54 percent)
• Easy, around-the-clock access to medical help (51 percent)
• No need to go to a physician's office for minor, reoccurring ailments like allergies (39 percent)
• No need to pay for visit to physician, emergency room or urgent care clinic (36 percent)
• No concerns about exposure to other's illnesses while in waiting rooms (21 percent)
• Ability to receive medical care when taking time off work is not an option (17 percent)

A little more than one-third (37 percent) of respondents said they would not or probably would not try telemedicine citing preference for their own physician (65 percent) and concerns with the quality of care (13 percent).