Anytime Pediatrics Uncovers Key Findings from the State of Pediatric Telemedicine 2021 Report
Telemedicine has secured a firm foothold in pediatric care, according to a new study of 787 pediatricians and clinicians. In fact, an overwhelming 92% of respondents believe telemedicine will remain part of health practices in the future.
The 2021 State of Pediatric Telemedicine industry survey was conducted by an independent consultancy to understand the outlook and perspective of pediatric clinicians on telemedicine. Research was conducted via an online survey through the Qualtrics CoreXM platform and was delivered to 19,513 contacts from Jan. 12, 2021, to Feb. 12, 2021.
“While the pandemic has accelerated the growth of telemedicine, it is proving to be an essential connection that is here to stay,” says Marian Temesvary, CSO of Chicago-based Health Mavens, which implemented the study. “Based on our findings, telehealth will continue to expand as clinicians embrace its advantages and as patients come to expect it.”
The study revealed several other compelling findings about the evolving pediatric telehealth industry, including:
- Virtually all respondents currently use a telemedicine platform. What clinicians seek most in choosing future platforms include Electronic Medical Record integration, connectivity, price and flexible workflows.
- Some of the most common telemedicine visits are behavioral/mental health, sick visits (cold, rash, pink eye, etc.), follow-ups, medication refills and chronic condition check-ins.
- 96% of respondents report that they offer telemedicine during regular office hours, while only about 30% also offer telemedicine after hours and on weekends.
- Telemedicine visits tend to be efficient for patients and practices with most visits lasting 10 to 20 minutes.
- More than 60% of respondents report that patients find telemedicine easy to use.
- More than half of patients (59%) use a mobile app on their smartphone for telemedicine visits, while most clinicians use computers for access.
- Patient demand is the number-one factor driving the increased use of telemedicine. Other major factors are insurance coverage acceptance and the opportunity to grow revenue for healthcare practices.
- Some of the top additional features clinicians desire in a telemedicine platform include peripheral device integrations, translation services during visits, documentation and platform availability in multiple languages.
- Not all telemedicine platforms are created equal; essential technical components affecting both patients and practitioners are audio-visual quality, ease of use/connectivity, flexible workflows and live support.
As one respondent shared: “If I were adopting telemedicine for the first time, I would make sure the platform has live support available when clinicians and patients need it.”
Through the pandemic and beyond, the study supports that telehealth is here to stay.
“Telemedicine will keep advancing as a vital tool for pediatric clinicians,” says Dr. Mick Connors, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Anytime Pediatrics. “When it comes to virtual care, the focus should remain centered on ensuring technology is used to foster relationships and enhance the connection of patients with the care they trust. We are striving to make the technology as invisible as possible so care can be delivered to the right patient, at the right time and with the right provider.”
Anytime Pediatrics commissioned this independent study, The 2021 State of Pediatric Telemedicine, to identify attitudes, use and future opportunities for telemedicine.
About Anytime Pediatrics
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Anytime Pediatrics was founded in 2016—for pediatric clinicians by a pediatrician and pediatric practice administrator—with the mission of advancing innovation that strengthens the patient-clinician relationship and elevates pediatric care. With both its experienced pediatrician and pediatric practice management leadership, the innovative technology company is a pioneer in virtual healthcare that has grown to serve thousands of pediatric clinicians nationwide and hundreds of thousands of children.
For more information, visit https://anytimepediatrics.com.
