NEW SURVEY SHOWS GREATER KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF TELEHEALTH AMONG WOMEN WITH HIGHER INCOMES
(Washington, D.C.) — A new national survey released by Power to Decide shows that significantly more respondents with annual household incomes over $50,000 understood what telehealth is (67%), ever reported using telehealth services (69%) and knew how to find a telehealth provider (68%) in comparison to women with household incomes under $50,000.
Among women with lower incomes (under $50,000) only 21% understood what telehealth is, 31% reported ever using telehealth services and 21% knew how to find a telehealth provider. The results reflect responses from an online panel survey recently conducted of 500 women age 18-29 in the United States.
“As telehealth continues to gain tremendous support among care providers and patients, it is important to understand that the convenience and effectiveness of telehealth are experienced disproportionately among women with higher incomes,” said Gillian Sealy, CEO, Power to Decide. “Lack of access to reliable internet and other resources prevent some women from using telehealth, which further widens the information and access gap to important reproductive health care services for women especially for those with lower incomes.”
The nationally representative survey also showed significant differences in communicating with their health provider. Approximately 72% of respondents with higher incomes reported they were likely to talk to their health care provider about telehealth options in comparison to 18% of women with lower incomes.
“Along with encouraging women to be their best advocate regarding their reproductive well-being, we must also empower them with information regarding all the resources available, such as telehealth,” continued Sealy. “Through appropriate and consistent communication we can help meet women where they are, so that all women regardless of economic status can have the power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child.”
Power to Decide’s BCBenefits is a Contraceptive Access Fund that supports access to birth control primarily through telehealth services for women in need by alleviating the cost barriers associated with accessing contraception.
For more details, and information, about the Power to Decide telehealth survey, go here.
About the Survey: Data presented here are drawn from a survey conducted by Ask Your Target Market (AYTM), an online market research firm. Using AYTM’s panel, we surveyed 500 U.S. women between the ages of 18-29 in May 2020.
Power to Decide is a private, non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to ensure all people—no matter who they are, where they live or what their economic status might be—have the power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. Please visit us at www.PowerToDecide.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
