A new study from Cleveland Clinic found that patient satisfaction and engagement was improved with virtual care options. With virtual care exploding since the coronavirus pandemic, learning that patients are finding value in these options provides further impetus to grow and improve these services. 

The study included 426 patients who participated in a virtual care visit in 2017. (Note: About one-fourth of the respondents were Cleveland Clinic employees who were on the organization’s health insurance plan.) Findings included:

• Over 80% of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their virtual visit was as good as an in-person visit. 53% said their virtual visit was better than an in-person visit.
• 93% said they would use virtual care again.
• The average patient satisfaction score was 4.4 out of 5.
• For over one-third of respondents, convenience, not having to travel and staying at home were what they liked most about their virtual visit.
• 93% found the platform easy to use, while almost 96% said they were comfortable using the technology. One-third of respondents said the user interface needed improvement, however.
• Patient comfort level during their visit was higher when they had not had previous interactions with the provider.
• Over 90% of respondents said their provider demonstrated interest in them individually and understood their needs.
• 95% said their provider helped them with a care plan to address their needs and they left their appointment with an understanding of how to follow the plan.
• Virtual visits with a nurse practitioner (NP) or physician assistant (PA) had higher engagement than visits with a family physician.

At a time when telehealth and virtual care are more important than ever, learning that these options provide a satisfying clinically useful experience is key.