JUL 23, 2009 4:49pm ET

Survey: Consumers Keen on Telemedicine

Nearly three-fourths of U.S. consumers say they would use telemedicine, defined as remote monitoring to track their condition and vital signs, a new survey shows.

The online survey of 1,000 consumers was commissioned by the Health Research Institute unit of PricewaterhouseCoopers, a New York-based consulting firm.

The survey also found that half of consumers would be willing to seek health care through the Internet or other computer technology as a substitute for face-to-face, non-emergency visits. Of those, three-fourths said that e-mail consultations would be their preferred method of interaction.

The survey also found that 55% of consumers believe that if universal health insurance coverage is passed by Congress, it will not ensure equal access to care because of capacity constraints, particularly in hospital emergency departments.

The consulting firm has issued a report, “Jammed Access: Widening the Door to Health Care,” based on the survey and other research. To access the 44-page report, visit pwc.com.

--Howard Anderson

Consumer Health