Next year is shaping up to be a big one for the consumer use of telehealth, but despite a big push by healthcare systems, carriers and others patient use is still lagging.

That’s the key conclusion to a new survey from telehealth services provider Avizia Inc. The survey of about 900 healthcare organizations of varying size and consumers finds that about eight out of 10 consumers are still largely unaware of how to access telehealth or whether their insurer will cover it.

“There is strong momentum for telehealth, but patients need a little more guidance and education to increase adoption more broadly,” says Avizia CEO Mike Baird.

Specifically about 18% of consumers so far have tried seeing a doctor online using their mobile device, an app and a video connection to a provider, while 82% have not, the survey says. But consumers that have used telehealth tend to like the experience. When asked to rate their experience with telehealth on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 signifying a “great experience,” 62% of consumers who used telehealth ranked their experience a 10, 9, or 8, the survey says.

Consumers who used telehealth appreciated time savings and convenience (59 percent), faster service and shorter wait times to see the doctor (55%), and cost savings due to less travel (43%).

At 72%, providers are most interested in telehealth’s ability to expand access or reach to patients, but flagged reimbursement as a barrier to implementation at 41%, followed by program cost (40%), and clinician resistance (22%).

“Health systems are investing in telehealth, even as uptick is slow among consumers, because they understand the potential of the technology to impact patient care in a profound way,” Baird says.  Healthcare systems and hospitals are using telehealth most often to treat stroke victims at 72% followed by behavioral health and intensive care at 41% and 20%, respectively.

Other key report findings include:

• 15% of providers say patient resistance was a major barrier to increased use of telehealth.

“As technology advances and health system priorities shift, we expect to see a greater number of hospitals seeking new ways to leverage telehealth on a system-wide level to support the shift to value-based care,” Baird says.

Keep up with latest coverage on digital healthcare by signing up for Internet Health Management News today.