A majority of medical residents would be willing to conduct visits with patients through telehealth services, according to a Medscape study.
While many practicing physicians currently are wary of the technology, 70 percent of residents responding to the survey said they would have no issue videoconferencing with a patient.
In addition, 60 percent were OK with contacting a patient over the phone, and 56 percent would feel comfortable communicating with a patient via email.
More than 1,700 residents across 24 specialties participated in the survey, which looked at compensation and money matters, as well as lifestyle issues, according to a Medscape review of the report.
While patient views of the use of telemedicine for care remain mixed--patients responding to a recent TechnologyAdvice Research survey were more likely to prefer in-person care, while those surveyed earlier this year by Harris Poll on behalf of telehealth company American Well said they were willing to consider a video chat--growth of the technology is undeniable.
Mobile technologies and an increased push by states demanding coverage from insurance companies for telemedicine have prompted rapid growth in the industry, according to a recent article in the New York Times.
In addition, telehealth platform company Teladoc recently began trading on the New York Stock Exchange, with its shares rising 50 percent on the company's opening day of trading, from $19 to $28.50.
To learn more:
- here's the survey (slide show)
- read the review