Healthcare Data Security Worries Discourage Virtual Care Use by Fred Donovan

Concerns about healthcare data security and patient privacy are holding physicians back from using virtual care technology, according to a survey of physicians and consumers by Deloitte.

One-third of physicians cited data security and privacy concerns as the reason for slow adoption of virtual care. Slightly more than one-third of respondents cited concerns about medical errors.

At the same time, physicians who have implemented at least one virtual care technology (33%) are somewhat less likely to voice concerns about medical errors than physicians who have not (41%).

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Deloitte polled 624 physicians and 4,530 consumers for its report.

Other factors holding physicians back from telehealth include lack of reimbursement, complex licensing requirements, and the high cost of the technologies.

As a result, only 14 percent of physicians have video visit capability and only 18 percent of the rest plan to add this capability in the next one to two years.

At the same time, physicians recognize the benefits of virtual care, with two-thirds saying it improves patient access to care, 52 percent citing improved patient satisfaction, and 45 percent saying it helps them say connected with their patients and caregivers.

Forty-two percent of physicians said it improves care coordination, outcomes, and quality of care, 42 percent said there is potential to improve cost effectiveness of care, 41 percent said increased flexibility to clinician’s schedule, 32 percent potential for improved workflow, 28 percent said staying connected with peers and other clinicians, and 11 said they did not see any benefits.

Consumers are interested in taking advantage of virtual care options. In fact, 64 percent of consumers surveyed by Deloitte said convenience and access are important benefits of virtual care.

One-quarter of consumers have had virtual care visits, and 57 percent of those who have not had them would be willing to try them in the future.

The top reasons why consumers do not opt for a virtual care visit are loss of personal connection with their doctor (28%), concerns regarding quality of care (28%), and issues with access (24%). On the flip side, consumers do use virtual care tools because of more convenient hours (33%), not feeling well enough to leave the house (25%), and doctor’s office is far from home or work (25%).

Deloitte defines virtual care as the “integration of telehealth into mainstream care delivery to complement or even substitute traditional care delivery. It involves the convergence of digital media, health technology, and mobile devices, and leverages additional modalities—such as text messaging, digital voice assistants, and decision support tools powered by artificial intelligence and augmented/virtual reality—to create a continuous connection between patients, physicians, and other caregivers.”

Half of consumers surveyed said they use wearables and other technology to track their health information, and 53 percent of consumers who track their health share that information with their doctor.

Unfortunately, only 9 percent of physicians surveyed have implemented technology for remote monitoring or integrate data from wearables into patient medical records. Only 27 percent of the remaining physicians plan to add these capabilities in the next one to two years.

The survey found that primary care physicians are more likely to have implemented virtual care technologies than specialists. For instance, 48 percent of primary care physicians implemented portals versus 34 percent of specialists; 17 percent implemented video visits versus 13 percent of specialists; 11 percent implemented remote care management and coaching versus 6 percent of specialists; and 9 percent have integrated wearables data versus 3 percent of specialists.

More than half of the physicians whose organizations have adopted virtual care technologies expect to increase use in the next year or two. In contrast, a much smaller proportion of physicians whose organizations have not adopted virtual care technologies plan to begin using them.

“With the changing reimbursement models, growing consumer demand, and advances in digital technologies, virtual care is a must-have for health systems, and they will now need to help physicians adopt virtual care capabilities,” Deloitte concluded.

Source: https://healthitsecurity.com/news/healthcare-data-security-worries-discourage-virtual-care-use