NTT DATA Survey Finds Lack of Awareness Around Healthcare-at-Home Options and Growing Preference for Telehealth

In an effort to better understand the current sentiment around the idea of healthcare at home, NTT DATA conducted a survey, garnering responses from 1,000 U.S.-based adults. The data uncovers that while the general consumer population is still largely unaware that in-home healthcare options exist, interest in these options, as well as telehealth appointments, is starting to gain traction.

PATIENTS ARE LARGELY UNAWARE OF AT-HOME OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM

• 52% of respondents did not know that healthcare providers are testing or working towards providing in-home medical care as opposed to requiring an in-office or hospital visit.
• Of those respondents, more than one out of three (35%) noted they currently would prefer to receive care in their home.
• When questioned further on the biggest barrier to receiving in-home medical attention, 36% noted they were completely unaware of the option, while 35% noted a lack of access, either by their medical provider or location.

Despite many respondents noting they were unaware of in-home care options, the popularity of alternative medical options is on the rise.

TELEHEALTH IS GAINING MOMENTUM

• When asked about their preferred method to seek medical attention if given the option, 47% of respondents indicated they’d prefer an online/telehealth appointment and 25% indicated an interest in having a doctor visit their home. In contrast, 28% indicated they did not prefer an online/telehealth appointment or in-home doctor visit.
• Two out of three respondents (67%) agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that they feel more comfortable in their home when they feel ill, compared to 43% who agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more comfortable in the hospital when they feel ill.

The data shows it is likely that more patients will gravitate towards telehealth visits for things like filling prescriptions, addressing cold and flu symptoms, annual check-ups that don’t require in-office testing, and other non-life-threatening needs.

“The pandemic was a catalyst to showcasing the current struggles of healthcare systems: the struggle to meet patient demand and the needed efforts to keep key staff. It also led to an increase in patients wanting more personalized ways to receive care, like telehealth,” said Lisa Esch, Chief of Strategy, Innovation and Provider Industry Solutions, NTT DATA Services. “The transition to providing care outside of traditional medical offices and hospitals requires planning and secure, effective and seamless digital system architecture. When done correctly, it can reduce the burden on hospitals and give patients a more personalized, dignified and private experience.”

PREPARING NOW TO MEET FUTURE DEMAND

While significant barriers, like direct access and rural communities, exist in offering healthcare at home, NTT DATA sees tremendous opportunity in making the home a focal point for care at scale. To help today’s providers meet the growing and changing demands in healthcare, the company developed a simple, integrated digital system and model to enable at-home care technologies to work seamlessly with the hospital. Acting as a foundation, NTT DATA’s Hospital at Home solution manages patient and care team engagement through three essential support functions:

• The Command Center interconnects patients and clinicians, supplying intelligent management of remote devices, rollup of care activities to a single encounter, communication management, and analytics and AI to predict future needs and drive improvements.
• Acute Rapid Response both collects and transmits data for accurate real-time care through remote means. It manages information, supports audio and video capabilities, and provides for management of connectivity issues, privacy and security, partnerships for tech install and support, and applications for patient/clinician engagement.
• Clinical Innovation leverages robotics and automation, augmented and virtual reality tools, as well as remote imaging options, smart beds and other advanced, in-home monitoring technologies, plus analytics and AI to capture ways to advance remote care delivery capabilities.

With over 50 years of healthcare industry insights and experience, NTT DATA partners with healthcare providers to accelerate digital transformation and improve patient outcomes and experiences. By enabling the right technology powered by trusted data for more personalized and precise care, NTT DATA looks to empower proactive prevention through a health and well-being model that is human by design, trustworthy, and knowledge-driven to bring about the future of healthcare.

To learn more about NTT DATA’s approach to building and implementing a Hospital at Home system, read our research paper entitled Hospital at Home: Making Home the Focal Point for Care.