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Recent updates include notices from Banty, Ziply Fiber, and Parks Associates. Visit https://isemag.com/category/safety/telecom-covid-19-network-impact-wireless-wireline/ to find these and more COVID-19 Impact Updates.
82% of US Broadband Households With Children Used Telehealth Compared To 51% Without Children
Health And Wellness Research Addresses Consumer Demand For Virtual Healthcare And Emerging Business Models
Parks Associates’ latest consumer research finds 82% of US broadband households with children in the home have used telehealth, as opposed to just 51% of households without children. The firm’s quarterly surveys of 10,000 broadband households quantify the impact of the pandemic on consumer attitudes, usage, and adoption of connected devices and services, revealing key insights its analysts discussed at "Connecting the Dots: Interoperability and Health Data", the final event for 2021’s Connected Health Summit series, features executives from athenahealth and the US Department of Health and Human Services, among others.
"The pandemic has forever changed the trajectory of health and wellness. The industry is undergoing a shift as consumers, especially seniors, have become accustomed to using new technologies for healthcare services and communication," said Kristen Hanich, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates. "Out of necessity, the market for remote health technology products and services accelerated 5-10 years beyond where we expected it to be pre-pandemic."
REPORT: Virtual Care – Connected Health Devices and Services
As of April 2021, two-thirds of respondents are familiar with telehealth services as compared to just 50% in May of 2020.
Children are a key driver of use — 2% of respondents with children in the home have used telehealth as opposed to just 51% of households without children.
The report Virtual Care – Connected Health Devices and Services shows use of telehealth services increased from 15% of US broadband households in Q2 2019 to 64% in 2021. The research provides trending data on consumer familiarity, use, and demand for telehealth services, including the user experience with telehealth services and consumer appetite for virtual care as a standard offering, outside of crisis conditions.
REPORT: Fresh Air: Air Quality and Comfort in the Smart Home
30% of US broadband households have experienced allergies, and 14% of US broadband households have experienced asthma.
Smart thermostat owners are approximately 4 times more likely to own other smart climate-control devices than non-owners.
The report Fresh Air: Air Quality and Comfort in the Smart Home reports one-fifth of consumers own at least 1 smart climate-control device, and 20% of consumers are highly concerned about air quality. This consumer study quantifies consumer concerns, perceptions of product value by use cases, device and system ownership, and purchase intentions. The research also examines the different services to increase air quality and comfort, such as system maintenance analytics, 24/7 monitoring, and replenishment services.
REPORT: Healthy and Well at Home: Senior Assistive Technology
As of 2021, 22% of US broadband households report either currently caring for a loved one or expecting to provide care in the next 5 years.
Family caregivers are interested in purchasing home health technologies and communications solutions, and in arranging for home health aides and visiting nursing services.
The report Healthy and Well at Home: Senior Assistive Technology quantifies the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on seniors and family caregivers, assessing concerns, pain points, and demand for technology products and services. This research identifies the top must-have features of independent living solutions and demand among end users and caregivers.
To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific research data, please contact Rosey Ulpino at [email protected], 972.996.0233.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Parks Associates, a woman-owned and woman-led internationally recognized market research and consulting company, specializes in emerging technology solutions serving the consumer and small to medium business (SMB) markets. Celebrating its 35th year in 2021, Parks Associates is a partner to companies navigating the changing consumer technology landscapes through data-driven market insights, extensive consumer and industry intelligence, custom marketing services, and executive networking experiences and conferences. Each year, Parks Associates hosts industry webcasts, the CONNECTIONS™ Conference Series, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, and Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media. For more information, visit http://www.parksassociates.com.
Tech Workers Can Pursue Better Work-Life Balance In The Great Resignation
The Best Jobs And Places For Remote Work In 2022
4.4 million people quit their jobs in September, and economists see no sign of this slowing down. As Americans demand better benefits and work-life balance, employers are realizing they need to offer permanently-remote opportunities.
According to Forrester’s North American Predictions 2022 guide, Predictions 2022: See The Future And Gain A Competitive Edge (forrester.com), companies that do not offer "anywhere-work" will see a 30% rise in quit rates. Seeing this trend, our team analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. News, Indeed, CNBC, and other resources to determine the best jobs and places for remote work in 2022.
In the midst of this Great Resignation, Ziply Fiber analyzed new data to determine the best jobs and places for remote work in 2022This report covers occupations that require a degree, occupations that don’t require a degree, additional ways to earn money online, and the best places in the US to work from home.
View the full report. Making Money Online | ZiplyFiber.com
Live Video Appointments Are Better For Healthcare
Doctors and patients alike have spent a lot of time seeing each other in-person for appointments. While there are a number of pros associated with such an arrangement, the COVID-19 global pandemic has made many realize that quality, remote medical appointment options need to be available as well.
According to recent findings by Rock Health, “2021 marks the first year in which live video was the most used telemedicine modality.” What’s more, out of the patients polled by Rock Health, 51% confirmed they had used live video telemedicine – this represents a year-over-year jump of 8%.
Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc., is a champion of live video telemedicine. He believes this method of remote care is better for doctors and patients because:
Face-to-face interactions can’t be beat: When a healthcare professional meets with a patient remotely, having a face-to-face appointment makes it easier to diagnose a medical matter, discuss next steps, plus provide any additional guidance and reassurance necessary. What’s more, video calls still allow for a very human interaction, one that apart from the technology and physical distance involved, is not too dissimilar from meeting at a clinic
No more traveling: For some patients, the commute to and from a doctor’s office is enough of a deterrent to keep them from committing to necessary medical appointments. By making live video telemedicine services available at physician clinics, the number of times a patient has to travel to a doctor’s office will be cut down dramatically. While some appointments will still need to be done in-person, ones of a less critical nature can be taken care of through a virtual visit
Video calls are very accessible: While it could take some patients time to get used to video call technology, the reality is accessing an online medical appointment is easier than ever. Banty, for instance, provides healthcare professionals and patients an optimal virtual experience via desktop or laptop computer, smartphone, and tablet. Thus, live video telemedicine appointments can be logged into from home, while on vacation, or on a lunch break
“I am a big believer in developing quality relationships with my patients. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, however, this has become difficult due to social distancing recommendations and various other health and safety protocols,” offers Dr. Tytus. “Fortunately, many of my patients have – like me – embraced virtual medical appointments. This has not just kept our relationships strong, but it has also allowed my patients to maintain their health even when in-person appointments can be harder to come by.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Founded in 2020, Banty offers exceptional video conferencing solutions for Businesses, Medical Practices and Virtual Events. The platform provides users with a dedicated Banty.com URL, accessible via any desktop browser or through iOS and Android mobile apps.
In order to receive government approval to become a verified medical platform, Banty was upgraded to meet new cyber security standards, making it one of the most secure platforms available. Each day, the Banty team goes above and beyond to ensure the platform remains one of the most secure and innovative virtual meeting solutions in the world. For more information, please visit Banty.org/solutions, or follow Banty on social media to learn more about the latest platform innovations: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram.
27 Million Broadband Households Were Unable To Visit A Doctor In 2021, Down Slightly From 2020
COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact consumers’ lives. Virtual care solutions via telehealth now will continue to find a willing patient population post-pandemic. New research from Parks Associates reveals 27 million US broadband households reported being unable to visit a doctor in 2021, down slightly from 2020. The firm’s Quantified Consumer: Virtual Care: Connected Health Devices and Services evaluates user experiences with telehealth services and investigates consumer appetite for virtual care as a standard offering, outside of crisis conditions.
“The pandemic continues to impact consumers’ lives, limiting socialization, travel, commerce, and access to healthcare,” said Jennifer Kent, VP, Research, Parks Associates. “Patients’ inability to see a doctor due to staffing shortages, overcrowded hospitals, and concerns over the Delta variant of COVID-19 are continuing to drive increased usage of virtual consultations. In the first half of 2021, slightly fewer households reported they were unable to see their doctor, compared to 2020, but still with over 27 million households unable to see their care provider as desired, that creates a huge gap that telehealth services can fill.”
The research reports as of April 2021, 64% of US broadband households used a telehealth service in the prior 12 months. Of these consumers, 34% reported they had to use telehealth services as the only option to see their doctor, which is down slightly from May 2020, when 38% reported these restrictions on visits. The pandemic forced some practices and systems to defer patients due to staffing and facility constraints, while others have required patients to use telehealth services.
Necessity is not the only driver — patients have adopted telehealth for their own reasons, to avoid exposure to COVID-19 and for the convenience telehealth provides. More than one-fourth cite potential exposure to COVID-19 as a driver for using telehealth services. Notably, 28% opted for virtual consultations out of convenience, up from 22% in May 2020. This increase signals that users may be starting to turn to telehealth as a more normalized option for care.
“All healthcare industry players should expect that the recent consumer experience with telehealth has forever advanced what consumers will seek and come to expect out of their healthcare experience,” Kent said. “Providers and systems can be assured that the investments they are making in virtual care solutions now will continue to find a willing patient population post-pandemic.”
Parks Associates presented and analyzed its connected health research on December 1, during “Connecting the Dots: Interoperability and Health Data,” the final virtual session for the 8th annual Connected Health Summit: Consumer Engagement and Innovation, featuring a visionary presentation from the US Department of Health and Human Services and panelists from Jewish Senior Living Group, ResMed, and Seqster. The conference was sponsored by Alarm.com, Essence, and Everise.
For more information on Quantified Consumer: Virtual Care: Connected Health Devices and Services, contact [email protected]. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific data, please contact Rosey Ulpino at [email protected] or 972.490.1113.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions. The company’s expertise includes IoT, digital media and platforms, entertainment and gaming, home networks, Internet and television services, digital health, support services, consumer apps, consumer electronics, energy management, and home control systems and security. For more information, visit http://www.parksassociates.com.