Another study on telehealth shows that seeing a doctor online by video visit continues to catch on with consumers and providers.

The study of 300 executives at healthcare delivery organizations such as hospitals by telehealth services provider Vidyo Inc. finds that more than 75% percent of respondents already operate a telehealth program or plan to launch telehealth services in the upcoming year.

The survey also found that telehealth ranks as one of the top four information technology investment priorities for healthcare delivery organizations and two-thirds of respondents plan to spend 20% or more of their technology budget on telemedicine services.

The survey results did not release specific priorities or the amount of money healthcare delivery organizations spend annually on information technology or proposed spending levels for telehealth, but the survey did note that about one-third of all healthcare delivery organizations have a technical staff dedicated to telehealth and a five-year operating budget.

More than 50% of healthcare delivery organizations say they expect to upgrade their telehealth technology base this year, while 25% of providers say their organization has a dedicated clinical staff for video doctor visits.

“Telehealth has officially gone mainstream,” says Vidyo chief marketing officer Elana Anderson.

Other survey findings include:

• Almost two-thirds of healthcare delivery organizations say telehealth is producing better than expected outcomes, but didn’t break out specifics.
• 58% of providers say telehealth delivered increased provider satisfaction and makes it easier to retain clinicians and recruit new ones.
• 51% of providers say telehealth improved their efficiency and timeliness for delivering care.
• Two-thirds of healthcare delivery organizations say their patients are receptive to using telehealth.

“The data makes a case that patients themselves are behind the rise of ubiquitous telemedicine,” Anderson says.

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