More parents are willing to use telemedicine or digital doctor visits when seeking pediatric care for their kids.

But a new survey from Nemours Children’s Health System and released today at ATA 2017 in Orlando, Fla., also reveals that parents are more reluctant to consider telemedicine for treating chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The survey of 500 parents—or the primary care giver for a child 3 and under—finds that that only 15% of parents have tried telemedicine, but more than 50% of parents says they are receptive to trying online doctor visits for common childhood ailments and routine well-child visits.

“As parents look to raise children with accessible and evidence-based health care, telemedicine can be a convenient and high-quality option for busy families,” says Nemours senior vice president and chief of strategy integration Gina Altieri. “Even though use of telemedicine is climbing slowly, our findings show that we are on the cusp of a breakthrough in adoption as families are becoming more interested and accepting of receiving care virtually.”

Parents are most willing to use telehealth services for cold and flu (58%), pink eye (51%), and rashes (48%), per the survey. But parents are much less likely to substitute a digital visit for a regular office visit when it comes to chronic conditions. Parents taking part in the survey noted they likely would never consider using telehealth services for diabetes (53%), asthma (43%), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (36%).

Many parents report that work schedules and time pressures create problems for securing in-office appointments. Parents are likely to spend an average of 30 hours on well-child visits during their child’s first five years, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. But the Nemours says parents who have used telemedicine see digital doctor as being convenient. 74.7% of parents also rated their telehealth experience as good or superior to an in-office doctor visit.

Other findings include:

• Dads surveyed were more likely to have already used telemedicine services for themselves or their children at 33.9%, compared to moms at 21.7%.
• Among parents who have tried an online doctor visit for their child, 97.5% rated the experience as equal to or better than an in-office visit.
• 7% of parents who have already had an online doctor visit for their child cite convenience as a prime reason for choosing online rather than in-office doctor visits.
• Many parents who have already had an online doctor visit for their child also looked to telemedicine for more immediate care than waiting for an in-office visit (53.4%) or for an after-hours medical opinion (52.3%).

“The overwhelmingly positive response we’ve seen from parents who are early adopters of telemedicine really reinforces the feasibility of online doctor visits and sets the stage for real change in the way healthcare is delivered,” says Nemours director for telemedicine Dr.  Shayan Vyas.