The telemedicine platform came to the forefront of care during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide effective remote care solutions to patients of all ages. Generally, there is a misconception attached to telehealth that older adults prefer in-person visits as compared to virtual care options. This myth was busted when a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society (AGS) found that adults 65 years and over have been relatively satisfied with telemedicine solutions throughout the pandemic and wanted continued access to virtual care.
Adoption of telemedicine software
Due to restrictions on in-person visits at the doctor’s office, patients and healthcare providers turned to the robust Telemedicine EMR Software solution. Telehealth helped providers offer uninterrupted care to their patients despite the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for older patients.
Before the pandemic, there were many roadblocks to telemedicine primary care for patients over 65 years old. The barriers included insurance coverage restrictions and adults not having adequate digital knowledge. When the pandemic hit, insurance coverage was extended and many older patients started to use the platform which created an opportunity for them to learn the remote care technology solution.
Takeaways from the research on telemedicine and patient satisfaction scores
The following results were found from conducting the research.
- Researchers found that patients did experience technical issues but this did not discourage patients from using telemedicine to receive ongoing care.
- Adults older than 65 years were satisfied with primary care telemedicine during the first 14 months of the pandemic and desired telemedicine to remain an option.
- Participants of the study appreciated the convenience benefit of the telehealth platform despite the technical difficulties and most of them wanted this as an option to receive continued care.
- 208 adults participated in the multimethod study and they were content with their telemedicine session, however, non-whites reported less satisfaction.
Telemedicine is being readily used by patients of all ages as the platform is seen as effective as in-person visits. The remote care platform provides quick diagnosis and treatment of different health conditions to improve patient outcome levels.