Telehealth Mobile Apps: Preferred Channel for Virtual Care Delivery but Generational Differences Persist, J.D. Power Finds

TROY, Mich.: 28 Sept. 2023 — Telehealth has undergone a transition from pandemic era lifeline to convenient outlet for routine follow-ups, treatment of minor illnesses and mental health service. Along the way, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study,^SM released today, a stark generation gap has emerged between Millennials¹ and Boomers, with younger patients driving the highest overall satisfaction scores and older patients experiencing significantly lower levels of satisfaction.

“Telehealth is here to stay,” said Christopher Lis, managing director of global healthcare intelligence at J.D. Power. “As overall utilization volumes normalized following the pandemic, we continue to see a clear trend toward telehealth adoption for routine care and ongoing mental health visits. Moreover, overall satisfaction is associated with telehealth mobile app utilization compared with other channels. At the same time, we are seeing some significant barriers to adoption in some populations, particularly among older patients and underserved populations who are struggling with digital channels and having challenges with access and ease of use.”

Following are some key findings of the 2023 study:

• Telehealth generation gap forms stark division: Overall patient satisfaction with telehealth is 698 (on a 1,000-point scale). Satisfaction scores are significantly higher (714) among members of Gen Y and Gen Z, and significantly lower (671) among Boomers and Pre-Boomers. The satisfaction gap is widest in digital channels and appointment scheduling, suggesting that older telehealth users are having problems using telehealth providers’ digital interfaces.
• Trust is an issue: Overall satisfaction with the telehealth experience is highest in the areas of people (doctor, physician’s assistant, nurse, nurse practitioner, etc.) and visit meeting my needs, but significantly lower when it comes to overall level of trust.
• Speed and convenience drive telehealth utilization: The primary reasons patients give for selecting telehealth over an in-person visit are convenience (28%) and ability to receive care quickly (17%).
• Providers need to make it easier: With the bulk of telehealth patients selecting telehealth services due to a combination of convenience, accessibility and saving time, it is critical that providers make it easy for users to access care. Overall telehealth satisfaction is 172 points higher when patients say digital channels are “very easy” to use than when they say they are “not very easy” to use.

Study Rankings

CVS ranks highest in telehealth satisfaction among direct-to-consumer brands, with a score of 744. MDLIVE (741) ranks second and Amwell (739) ranks third.

United Healthcare ranks highest among payers of health plan-provided telehealth services, with a score of 702. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (701) ranks second and Humana (695) ranks third.

The U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study, now in its fourth year, was redesigned for 2023. It measures customer satisfaction with telehealth service experience based on seven factors (in order of importance): level of trust, visit with provider met my needs, people, digital channels, ease of receiving care, scheduling of appointment, and helping to save me time or money. The study is based on responses of 5,424 healthcare customers who used a telehealth service within the past 12 months. It was fielded in June-July 2023.

For more information about the U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/us-telehealth-study.

About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler, J.D. Power; West Coast; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
John Roderick; East Coast; 631-584-2200; john@jroderick.com

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

¹J.D. Power defines generational groups as Pre-Boomers (born before 1946); Boomers (1946-1964); Gen X (1965-1976); Gen Y (1977-1994); and Gen Z (1995-2004). Millennials (1982-1994) are a subset of Gen Y.