Mentalhealth services were among the top needs, with 40% of consumerssaying they would be very likely to receive care for mental andbehavioral health virtually. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Health care consumers want more accessible and technology-drivenhealth care, with 32% more likely to communicate to their doctorsvia telehealth, up from 19% in 2019, according to a CVS Healthstudy released this week.

The 2020 Path to Better Health Study surveyed 1,000consumers and 400 providers through mid-March, just as the COVID-19pandemic hit. Kathleen Biesecker, senior communications partner atCVS Health, said the greater acceptance of telehealth was"exponential."

"The need to do things at a distance, whether it's prescriptiondelivery or talking to a provider on the phone or Apple watch,those kinds of things, the needs continue to grow," she said."Clearly, that is a pathway to getting care that has been growingand has accelerated dramatically by the COVID pandemic."

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The survey also found that 48% would be more likely tocommunicate through digital messaging, up slightly from 41% in2019, and 29% through Skype or FaceTime, up from 20% in 2019.

Mental health services were among the topneeds, with 40% of consumers saying they would be very likely toreceive care for mental and behavioral health virtually. That isespecially true for those between the ages of 18 and 50.

"The stigma around talking about mental health issues withproviders is moving in a positive direction," Biesecker said. "Thatconversation is becoming part of your whole body health."

Additionally, 40% of health care providers said telemedicine wasvery valuable for communicating with patients, up from 22% lastyear.

The annual survey, begun in 2018, focuses on both consumers andproviders of health care. This year's survey found that 92% ofconsumers said it was very or somewhat important that health carebe convenient.

Although hard to predict, Biesecker said the COVID-19 pandemicwould largely influence next year's survey.

"It will be fully influenced by this year we've been through,which is unlike anything else," she said. "I would imagine we'llsee that rise of telehealth, that will be really impactful, and themental health findings, again, will be important. Those twostorylines will continue through to be really important for thesurvey itself."

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