Health system and payer-led telehealth efforts will be rated when J.D. Power releases the results of its first study of consumer satisfaction with telehealth programs in November, the company announced Tuesday. The news comes on the heels of a separate survey about older adults’ willingness to use telehealth.

The J.D. Power research, which will rate direct-to-consumer products as well, also will measure awareness, potential usage and expectations of those who do not use telehealth.

“With a combination of steady organic growth and announced changes to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reimbursement schedule that will allow providers and payers to be reimbursed for utilization of telehealth services, the telehealth marketplace is on the verge of rapid expansion,” Greg Truex, managing director of healthcare intelligence at J.D. Power, said in a statement.

CMS reports that telehealth adoption increased more than 65% between 2015 and 2017, J.D. Power said, and the industry is projecting a 20 to 30 percent increase in usage.

J.D. Power will evaluate telehealth providers in three categories — health system-owned,  payer-owned and direct-to-consumer — based on five factors: awareness and selection; enrollment; consultation; billing and payment; and customer service.

Telehealth efforts that will be rated as part of the study, according to the J.D. Power, are listed below.

Health systems: Ascension, Adventist Health, Atrium Health, Catholic Health Initiatives, Dignity Health, Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Memorial Hermann, Memorial Health, Mercyhealth, MultiCare, Novant Health, Ochsner Health, Providence Health, Spectrum Health, Sutter Health and Trinity Health.

Payers: Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross / Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana and United Healthcare.

Direct-to-consumer: 98Point6, Amwell (American Well), Doctor On Demand, HealthTap, MeMD, MDLIVE and Teladoc.

Older adults’ acceptance of telehealth

Fifty-two percent of Americans aged more than 65 years are willing to use telehealth, according to a study recently conducted by the Harris Poll for American Well. Sixty-seven percent of the older adults surveyed said they were open to using video visits to manage their chronic conditions.

Starting in plan year 2020, CMS will reimburse for telehealth as part of Medicare Advantage plans, American Well noted.

“There’s tremendous opportunity to engage and support seniors with telehealth,” Danielle Russella, president of health plan solutions at American Well, said in a statement. “Supported by a magnitude of compelling forces that in the past have been barriers, issues of access, affordability, and awareness are fading. As the data shows, seniors are incredibly willing to embrace technology for their healthcare needs, which often require more personal, higher touch, coordinated care.”