Each year, the Virginia Telehealth Network (VTN) conducts an annual survey to better understand how Virginia’s licensed providers are using telehealth and identify areas they feel can improve. More than 10,000 health care professionals took part in both the inaugural survey in 2021 and the latest survey, which was released in 2023.
This year, we found an increase in provider confidence when it comes to using telehealth compared to survey results in 2021. Results from the 2023 survey were used to help inform enhancements to Virginia’s State Telehealth Plan and discover both current and future needs with virtual care. A snapshot report of this year’s results can be found here.
Below are a few takeaways and anecdotal responses we heard from Virginia’s providers.
Telehealth increases access to care for patients.
Respondents who do use telehealth also shared telehealth allows them to:
- “Provide greater convenience to my clients in how they attend sessions, resulting in fewer cancellations and late-starts.”
- “Have better accessibility for my patients and less disruption in their day-to-day lives.”
- “Provide services to individuals that otherwise could not attend therapy due to being homebound or residing too far from the service agency in rural areas.”
- “Provide health care to those who do not have transportation to my office.”
Plus, telehealth creates flexibility to help accommodate providers’ schedules. One survey respondent said, “Telehealth allows me to work from any location and adjust my schedule, so I have fewer lost workdays.” Additionally, 84% of respondents who use telehealth agree it allows them to have more flexibility, an increase from 77% in 2021.
Areas that respondents feel could be improved to make the patient telehealth experience better.
Patient education is essential for ensuring quality care in a virtual setting. To make the telehealth experience better for patients, respondents stated they need increased “assistance for people with certain disabilities” and “education on how to use smart devices for older patients.”
One respondent also noted that patients with limited resources need “access to public places with internet access that are also private such as a small room at a library.”
The most cited areas for improving the patient experience include internet connectivity, technical assistance, and digital literacy.
This survey was made possible thanks to support from the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, and industry associations. To stay informed about the 2024 Benchmarking Telehealth Usage in Virginia survey, fill the form on this page to sign up for email updates.