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Telemedicine services or urgent care services? Injured girl receiving first aid

How Do Telemedicine Services Affect the Primary Care Model?

Recent surveys from the Kaiser Family Foundation have shown that roughly one in four American adults have not chosen a regular doctor that they see for general ailments. For adults under age 30, that ratio jumps to nearly half. For a health care system originally built on primary care-centered medicine—which has proven to reduce health care costs by one-third—this is unsettling news indeed. However, evolving technologies such as telemedicine services are re-shaping the health care landscape, forcing existing generalists to adapt to the new paradigm for survival. Read more

generic telemedicine app on tablet for telemedicine adoption rates

How to Raise Your Telemedicine Adoption Rates

Many people believe that older Americans don’t like new technology, don’t know how to use it, and don’t want it. On the other end of the spectrum, they perceive millennials—the youngest adults—as being born with video game controllers in their hands and embracing any form of technology, almost favoring superficial virtual interactions over deep, interpersonal relationships. Are these myths or facts? Out of these statements, survey results support just two claims: In general, older adults often want to but don’t know how (or are unable) to use the latest technology, and millennials do not value the continuity of care and long-term relationship provided by a primary care physician (PCP) as much as previous generations do. As any organization strives to increase telemedicine adoption rates, it may behoove marketing to emphasize different benefits of telemedicine according to the specific needs and preferences of each generation. Read more