Most patients who switched to virtual tools like video calls, online chat and apps to talk to their doctors during the pandemic want that to continue after the crisis abates, says a new survey.

The study by Accenture polled 2,700 cancer, heart disease and immunology patients from around the world, and found that nine out of 10 using remote services felt the quality of their care was as good or better than before.

All told, 60% of them want to use technology more to communicate with healthcare providers in future, adding to the evidence that COVID-19 could lead to fundamental changes in the delivery of health services.

In the US, for example, there is already pressure on the federal government to maintain reimbursement for telehealth services approved under emergency provisions.

Just this week, a letter was sent by 340 healthcare groups asking lawmakers across the political divide to act quickly to make those changes permanent, saying that claims for telehealth in the US had risen 4,300% in March compared to the same month of 2019.

Source: pharmaphorum.com