LOS ANGELES & ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SteadyMD, a B2B telehealth infrastructure provider that powers high-quality telehealth patient experiences for leaders and innovators in healthcare, is pleased to share insights from a sample of more than 1,700 doctors, nurses and therapists to better understand what is motivating them to pursue telehealth opportunities. There were several factors that these clinicians shared for leaning toward telehealth over the traditional practice of medicine, but chief among them were the workplace, scheduling, and lifestyle flexibility that telehealth provides — especially given the rising cases of clinician burnout seen throughout the pandemic. These findings mirror the ongoing telehealth trends and motivators that have been reported from patients nationwide, which show that most Americans welcome the expansion of telehealth services.
The analysis categorized participant responses according to both clinician type and years of practice, revealing that doctors with 15 or more years of experience expressed the highest interest in telehealth, and seasoned therapists followed closely behind — 86% of whom view telehealth as an opportunity to work more night shifts and supplement the income from their day jobs. The report also showed that nearly two-thirds (63%) of the clinician responses confirmed that they would welcome a full-time telehealth role, if the opportunity presented itself.
“Clinicians who have already established their careers in a hospital or office setting may be looking for a different way to practice medicine after going the traditional route and exploring new opportunities,” said Dr. Chardonnay Vance, SteadyMD’s Medical Director of Clinical Programs and licensed physician with experience treating patients within the clinical setting. “That was true for me, and this new data shows that highly experienced clinicians, nurses, and therapists are ready to make the change to telehealth.”
While the pandemic triggered and popularized work-from-home opportunities across industries, few professional roles were as directly and physically impacted by COVID-19 as clinicians who worked in traditional care settings. When asked what factors were most appealing to them about telehealth, then, it’s not surprising that the top responses included remote work flexibility and the ability to have more control over their own schedules. What was more surprising, however, was the stated desire to leverage telehealth to find more nighttime and weekend work. Of those polled:
- 64% expressed interest in working night shifts
- 85% expressed an openness to practice on the weekends
- 63% expressed interest in full-time telehealth work, if available
- The majority welcomed at least 15 - 20 hours per week, if full-time work was not an option
“Telehealth offers clinicians the flexibility they deserve to earn additional income and meaningfully treat more patients on their own time without having to leave their primary job,” said Summer Buck, LMFT and SteadyMD’s Mental Health Director. “It is not uncommon for therapists who are seeking to make extra money to jump into telehealth while maintaining the benefits from their daytime employer.”
The report’s other key takeaways include:
- Doctors, especially those who’ve worked extensively in the traditional system, are interested in telehealth as a better way to practice medicine.
- Nurse practitioners are very interested in full-time careers as telehealth clinicians and are open to a variety of shifts that fit within their ideal work schedule.
- Therapists typically prefer to “moonlight” in teletherapy work on weeknights.
“Overall, our analysis shows that many clinicians are looking to telehealth as a full-time, dependable alternative to their more traditional medical roles, while others are interested in the ‘side hustle’ that virtual care makes possible,” said Guy Friedman, CEO of SteadyMD. “SteadyMD aims to support both types of clinicians. We strongly believe that telehealth represents a great opportunity to meet individual clinician needs while helping address the current shortage of clinicians in the industry and ultimately, increasing access to better quality care for patients across the country.”
About SteadyMD
SteadyMD is a B2B telehealth infrastructure provider that powers high-quality telehealth patient experiences for leaders and innovators in healthcare in all 50 states. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with healthcare organizations, labs and diagnostics companies, pharmacies, and digital health brands, SteadyMD enables its partners to scale quickly and efficiently nationwide by offering a 50-state clinician workforce, clinical operations, legal and regulatory guidance, and world-class product and technology. SteadyMD’s carefully curated community of thousands of board-certified clinicians are passionate about improving access to high-quality care by utilizing state-of-the-art delivery modalities and serving patients across the entire care spectrum. To learn more, please visit www.steadymd.com.
