2023 Consumerization of Care Survey

Consumers are demanding healthcare experiences that make it easy for us all to be more proactive with our health. 

We want care when and how we need it, and recently-surveyed consumers see virtual care as the way to get care on our terms.


Explore the results of the Wheel-commissioned independent study, which surveyed more than 2,000 consumers in July 2023.

But first, why survey consumers? 

At Wheel, we believe that the future of virtual care is consumer-centric. That means delivering care that's convenient, personalized, and comprehensive in an effort to ultimately support a dramatically healthier population.


A critical part of building true, consumer-centric healthcare is hearing directly from consumers and deeply understanding their needs. As the leading company enabling care transformation, we sought to understand how people view virtual care today, what evolutions could drive or hinder greater adoption, who consumers trust to deliver their care virtually, and more. 


To find out, we commissioned a survey with independent market research firm, PureSpectrum, to poll 2,048 U.S. consumers who’ve visited a healthcare provider virtually in the past 12 months. All respondents were 18 years of age or older and were responsible for making their own healthcare decisions. The survey was conducted in July 2023.

Companies that don't build for the consumer will be left behind.

Key Survey Findings: What do consumers want from virtual care?

We divided our findings report into three sections covering three categories of consumer needs, plus a look ahead at what will encourage the greatest consumer engagement with virtual care. 

1

If consumers have their way, virtual care is here to stay.

2

For healthcare consumers, convenience is king.

3

The healthcare playing field is now open to outsiders.

1

If consumers have their way, virtual care is here to stay.

CONSUMERS SEE THE VALUE OF VIRTUAL CARE AND WANT MORE OF IT

Nine in ten consumers (89%) who used virtual care in the past 12 months want to continue using it. 

2 out of 3 consumers see virtual care as a way to improve the healthcare system — especially via access.

How virtual care can improve the healthcare system - according to consumers

Nine in ten consumers (92%) expressed at least one complaint with the healthcare system, and of that group:

believe virtual care improves access and makes it easier to find an appointment

67%

66%

believe virtual care reduces high costs

believe virtual care improves efficiency and reduces time spent seeing doctors

52%

believe virtual care reduces the complexity of navigating the traditional system

26%

believe virtual care addresses poor experiences, viewing virtual care as a friendlier and more personalized experience

22%

2

For healthcare consumers, convenience is king.

VIRTUAL CARE IS EMPOWERING CONSUMERS TO ENGAGE MORE IN THEIR OWN HEALTH

Half of consumers (52%) say virtual care motivated them to seek out preventative care that they wouldn't have if it required going in person. 

1 in 3 consumers (37%) admit ignoring a health concern that required an in-person visit.

WHEN CHOOSING CARE, CONVENIENCE FACTORS MATTER MOST TO CONSUMERS

Time savings is the most reported factor influencing when to choose virtual over in-person care, trumping costs

Why consumers prefer virtual over in-person care

Convenience factors such as time saved, not having to travel, and ease of access were the most influential drivers – even beating lower costs. However, other factors also influenced their decisions out of necessity. 

said virtual care saved them time and allows them to see a clinician outside of normal in-person office hours

71%

said they appreciated not having to go anywhere to see a clinician – whether that was because they were unable to or simply preferred not to

51%

said the access that virtual care provides is a big influence as there were no healthcare providers or appointments available in their area

32%

28%

said they were recommended a virtual care option by their clinician

were influenced by a lower cost compared to seeing a clinician in person

26%

said felt more comfortable seeing a clinician online because of a stigmatized health condition

20%

14%

were influenced by their insurance coverage

3

The healthcare playing field is now open to outsiders.

CONSUMERS EXPRESS TRUST IN RECEIVING CARE VIRTUALLY FROM COMPANIES ACROSS A WIDE VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES

Healthcare access is an issue for many healthcare consumers, and the expansion of virtual care has enabled more and different types of companies to develop virtual care strategies. With an ever-evolving definition of what a healthcare delivery organization can be, there is a growing acceptance among healthcare consumers for nontraditional players to support their care. 

The majority of consumers are open to virtual care from non-traditional providers

Health Insurers

72% would be open to a health insurer providing them with virtual care services – with an additional 9% who don’t have an opinion.

Retail Drug Store Chains

67% of healthcare consumers are open to a retail drugstore chain providing them with virtual care services – with an additional 8% who don’t have an opinion.

Life Sciences Companies

57% would be open to a pharmaceutical manufacturer providing them with virtual care services – with an additional 10% who don’t have an opinion.

Large Retailers

48% would be open to a large retailer providing them with virtual care services – with an additional 9% that don’t have an opinion.

CONSUMERS DON'T SEEM VERY CONCERNED WITH CONTINUITY OF CARE

Opponents to non-traditional healthcare delivery argue that new entrants will further fragment an already disparate healthcare system. While certain strategies like care navigation and accessible medical records can alleviate some elements of fragmentation, most consumers are not concerned about this. 

3 in 5 consumers (57%) have little or no concern that receiving care from multiple providers would negatively impact their health

Consumers that DO have moderate or significant concerns about receiving care from multiple providers (43%) are open to solutions that could help address their concerns.

50% would want to be able to easily download and share their healthcare records with other providers

61% would want access to a care navigator who is aware of their various care needs and treatments

46% would still prefer to see the same virtual care provider but would be OK with seeing a different nurse or doctor

The future is consumer-driven.

Looking ahead, consumers provide insight into what will encourage them to continue engaging with virtual care — along with which demographics will likely be the most engaged. 

WHAT WOULD ENCOURAGE GREATER USE OF VIRTUAL CARE?

Asynchronous care options are the most likely to drive increased virtual care usage, according to consumers.

Why consumers say they would use virtual care more frequently

47%

said they would be motivated by more asynchronous care visits 

44%

want ongoing access to clinicians for follow-up questions

41%

want the ability to see the same clinician for each visit

37%

cited broader insurance coverage

35%

would want virtual care to support more health conditions

call for more at-home services like labs to connect the virtual care experience

31%

would use virtual care more if they could more easily share their digital medical records

31%

29%

would be motivated by knowing the cost of care beforehand

WHAT WOULD MAKE CONSUMERS COME BACK TO THE SAME VIRTUAL CARE PROVIDER ORGANIZATION?

Convenience + speed are the driving forces

Approximately half (47%) reported that short wait times with fast responses from healthcare providers was the most important benefit that an organization should enable for repeat customers — blowing away the second-most chosen differentiator, compassionate and warm providers (17%). 

HOW DO DIFFERENT CONSUMER GROUPS THINK ABOUT VIRTUAL CARE?

Younger Consumers 18-44

Younger people are more open to virtual care than other age groups.

  • 75% of younger people are willing to receive virtual care from at least one nontraditional provider  
  • They’re somewhat more likely (40%) to have not seen a doctor for a health concern because it required them to visit in person, compared to the group that was 45+ (28%).
  • They’re significantly more likely to report virtual care encouraging them to seek more preventive care (58%) compared to respondents 45+ (39%).

Male Consumers

Men are significantly more open to nontraditional players providing virtual care services than women.

  • They’re significantly more open to large retailers providing them with virtual care (65%) compared to women (41%)
  • They’re slightly more open to retail drugstore chains providing them with virtual care (76%) compared to women (63%)
  • They’re significant more open to life sciences companies providing them with virtual care (71%) compared to women (51%)
  • They’re only slightly more open to virtual care from health insurers (82% vs 68%, respectively).

Consumers with Dependents

Caregivers are more open to virtual care than people without dependents.

  • 79% are willing to receive virtual care from a nontraditional provider
  • They’re somewhat more likely to report choosing to not see a doctor because it would’ve required them to visit in person (42%) – compared to 31% for non-caregivers.
  • They’re much more likely to report that engaging in virtual care has encouraged them to seek preventive care (61%) – compared to just 43% of those with no dependents in their care.

Consumerization of care is here

“People have made it clear they’re placing a higher value on their health and they’re demanding healthcare experiences that make it easy to get care on their terms. That's why we've invested in the next generation of our platform to deliver on the true promise of consumer-centric care, empowering enterprise organizations that are motivated to rewire the healthcare experience.”

– Wheel CEO & Co-Founder, Michelle Davey

Survey Commentary

Despite years of industry promises of timely, convenient, and affordable healthcare solutions, consumers are still plagued with long wait times, lack of price transparency, and care inequalities while the healthcare experience remains stubbornly frustrating, expensive, and cumbersome. 


As virtual care adoption grows with consumer demand, the field of virtual care providers is also expanding. Now, non-traditional providers like retailers, drug store chains, health plans, and pharmaceutical companies are placing big bets on their customers' willingness to trust them with more of their healthcare needs.


To turn loyal customers into engaged patients, companies must invest in building care in the ways that consumers want to use it, or risk not only a missed opportunity, but losing significant market share to the competition.

Trust Wheel to Bring Your Consumer Offering to Life

Wheel enables enterprise organizations looking to grow their virtual care offering, drive engagement and loyalty, and deliver high-quality virtual care at scale.


Our platform incorporates configurable virtual care programs, a seamless consumer experience, and a nationwide clinician network — providing organizations with everything they need to deliver consumer-centric care.


  • Convenient: 24/7 virtual visits across all 50 states with industry-leading response times, connecting clinicians with consumers in minutes
  • Personalized: From the first intake to follow-up, Wheel provides a configurable virtual care experience designed to meet the needs of your consumers and your business.
  • Comprehensive: Launch integrated virtual care experiences that can be easily configured, deployed, and optimized with Wheel’s library of proven care programs across Urgent Care, Primary Care, Convenience Care, and Condition Management.

Wheel is the leading platform for consumer-centric virtual care

Book a demo and learn how Wheel can bring your consumer offering to life. 

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