Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for March 23, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
March 23, 2017: One huge barrier to accessing healthcare is the reality of what it takes to see a doctor. On average, it takes 18.4 days to actually see the doctor after making an appointment. Then, it takes two hours out of the day to spend just 20 minutes with the physician. That’s because a typical visit involves 101 minutes in the waiting room and travel time. People living in remote rural areas may have to set aside even more time.[1]
Adding insult to injury, of course, is the fact that many of these doctor visits are perfunctory and required solely to meet the requirements of insurance companies.
The massive inconvenience of seeing a doctor is a significant reason that many people defer seeking treatment. Over a third of all Americans (36%) delay treatment because the process takes too long or because they are simply too busy. Not surprisingly, there is a growing interest in telemedicine to address this problem and improve access to care.[1]
Typically, in a telemedicine visit, it takes only about 5 minutes to see the doctor and about 10 minutes for the consultation. A bonus is that telemedicine visits are significantly less expensive than an office visit. In fact, the total cost for a video consultation is often less than the co-pay for an in-office visit. Importantly, research shows that video visits “perform at or above the level of care at a doctor’s office.”[1]
The notion of having to go to the doctor for a simple consult seems archaic to many in the digital era. Two-thirds (65%) of Americans would like their physicians to offer video visits. Some major areas of interest include video visits for chronic care conditions, surgical follow-up, middle-of-the-night care, elderly care, prescription refills, and birth control.[1]
As Congress debates political solutions to prop up the current healthcare system, it’s important to remember that the culture leads and the politics lag behind. Telemedicine and many other new technologies are poised to offer more convenience, better care, and lower costs. Bureaucracies at both insurance companies and government regulatory bodies naturally resist these changes, but they will eventually catch up to the culture.
And, in today’s culture, the notion of spending 101 minutes in a waiting room and travel time is utterly unsustainable.
Data used above was first reported in America Well’s 2017 TeleHealth Index.
Yesterday’s Number of the Day highlighted another example of how the culture is leading us to become a healthier nation. Driven by health concerns, Americans now drink an average of 39.3 gallons of bottled water annually. That reflects a dramatic shift over the past decade. For the first time ever, Americans drink more bottled water than soda.
Tuesday’s number was 32.6, the amount of time nominee Neil Gorsuch could serve on the court based on life expectancy.
Monday’s number looked at 206 Pivot Counties that voted twice for President Obama and then voted for President Trump in 2016.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
The Number of the Day is broadcast on local stations across the country. An archive of these broadcasts can be found here.
Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day
- Healthcare Policy
- Pivot Counties: The counties that voted Obama-Obama-Trump from 2008-2016
- Pliny's Point
Footnotes
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