Kaiser Permanente Colorado finds high patient satisfaction in 'chat with a doctor' offering

Kaiser Permanente Colorado reports that for the healthcare system, a simple text chat is an easier sell than video visits or phones in terms of direct-to-consumer telemedicine. Kaiser trialed the Chat with a Doctor program as a way to help members avoid unnecessary ER visits, and found a chat service that allows for uploading photos - but doesn't use video - can resolve an important percentage of these encounters. Patients who go to Kaiser's main website or book an appointment have the option to use the chat service, connecting them to a doctor who is chatting with a maximum of three other patients. The doctor can assess simple things and prescribe medication. If the condition is more complicated, they connect the patient to a staffer who will schedule an appointment. Kaiser says two-thirds of issues can be resolved on chat, and the program sees between 100 and 200 visitors a day. Kaiser also indicates placing the physician up front rather than having members go through a screening process was surprising and highly satisfying to the members.