Young people are more likely to use healthcare when it’s available through a healthcare app, and even more so when they don’t have to pay a patient fee. This was revealed in a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg.
The advent of online healthcare through mobile apps has changed the availability and demand for healthcare. The study, published in the Economic Journal, analyzed the spending patterns of 19- and 20-year-olds.
The study is based on data from young people in the Stockholm and Västra Götaland regions. During the study period, 19-year-olds were not charged a co-pay for online consultations, but 20-year-olds had to pay.
Price sensitivity among patients was evident. People who turned 20 years old had, on average, half as many online medical consultations compared to 19-year-olds. In general, the consultation rate for women was higher than that for men, and the rate dropped sharply after the age of 20.
The value of alleviating anxiety
People often seek online medical care for simple ailments, a type of treatment where price is generally more of a consideration. This does not necessarily mean it is unwarranted care. It is important to note that without access to medical expertise, it is difficult to determine what your actual medical needs are. There is also value in alleviating people’s fears. ”
Gustav Kelsson, health economics researcher, University of Gothenburg
Researchers estimate that 45% of online visits by 19-year-olds replace in-person visits, and the remaining 55% would not have been received without easy access to online visits.
“These are often related to reproductive health care, such as respiratory infections, skin conditions, and contraceptive management, and are typically addressed by midwives,” he continues. “What we’re seeing is a shift toward more care being delivered by physicians.”
Cost-neutral volume increase
The researchers found no measurable negative medical effects, either in terms of follow-up care or complication rates, from increased online visits and decreased in-person visits. A secondary finding was that young men, who are generally less likely to seek medical care, increased visits to youth clinics.
“This may be an effect of the first online doctor consultations,” says Gustav Kelson. “Improved accessibility can make it easier to seek help for sensitive conditions such as sexually transmitted infections.”
The Swedish debate about online doctors includes the quality of care, the allocation of resources, the extent to which the burden on primary care will be reduced, and in particular how regions will compensate online doctors for private consultations. Against this background, there is another finding in the study that researchers should note: the increase in medical consumption among 19- and 20-year-olds did not result in an increase in total production costs.
“Interestingly, our estimates show that the increase in medical volume is more or less cost-neutral. Regional costs for digital health are primarily due to reimbursement models for private online care, rather than due to production costs.”
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Reference magazines:
Elegord, L.M. others. (2026). Can a single app call a day drive patients away? Alternatives to online and in-person doctor visits in young people. economic journal. DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueag016. https://academic.oup.com/ej/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ej/ueag016/8444576
