Low-income Californians Embrace Telehealth 'Trade-Offs'

Patients say they'll tolerate the technical glitches in exchange for engaged screen time with providers.

Low-income Californians generally expressed comfort and satisfaction with their telehealth experiences, but also want the option of accessing in-person care, a new survey shows.

The survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago and commissioned by the California Healthcare Foundation, found that many of the 73 low-income Californians interviewed in the second half of 2022 acknowledged certain "trade-offs" that come with using remote care, such as the occasional audio and video connectivity issues, while at the same time reporting that their providers are more engaged in their care in video visits, which helps them to build trust with their pro­viders and in telehealth.

"Ultimately, many participants who experience both phone and video visits see the value of each visit modality in different situations," the report says.   

The survey subjects also told NORC that:

* Telehealth removes barriers to care, such as financial and transportation costs, that can hamstring access to in-person care. "Interviewees appreciate the ease of access and convenience of telehealth visits, especially interviewees with disabilities, those with mental health conditions, and those who identify as transgender or nonbinary," the report says.

* Telehealth helps patients build stronger rela­tionships with providers. "Overwhelmingly, participants report high levels of satisfaction and trust with the care that they receive via phone or video," the report says. "Moreover, many feel that their relationships with providers are strengthened through more fre­quent and easier contact."

* Telehealth visits with providers proficient in the patients’ language results in high-quality care. "Participants who prefer to receive care in a non-English language who receive such visits report high levels of satisfaction and confidence in their communications with their providers," the report says. "As with other patients, telehealth visits help these participants build trust and strengthen their relationships with providers."

* They want telehealth to play a central role in their future care, with most inter­viewees saying they would like to receive at least half of their care via telehealth.

* They want to be involved in deci­sions about the modality of their visits and choosing which type of visit (i.e., phone, video, or in-person) makes sense for their specific health concern. Most of these patients like the idea of partnering with their provider in making this choice.