One of the leading coupon code websites in the US has conducted a survey of 1,723 Americans, aged 18-30, to discover their views on the future of “robot healthcare” and whether or not they would feel comfortable dealing with a remote doctor using the RP VITA interface or a human one, even if it meant lower hospital and health insurance costs and immediate care.

The survey, conducted by www.CouponCodes4u.com, formed part of research of Americans and their preferences when it came to healthcare providers and costs. Respondents were originally asked whether or not they visited the doctor on a regular basis, to which 52% said ‘yes’, while 37% replied ‘every now and again’ and one in ten, 11%, of respondents replied ‘hardly ever or not at all’.

Respondents were asked whether or not they would feel more comfortable with the prospect of being treated by a remote doctor via the RP VITA robot compared to a face-to-face consultation, to which 61% said that they would opt for a face to face meeting. 34% said that they would opt for the RP VITA, if given the choice, while 5% of respondents claimed to be ‘indifferent’.

Those respondents who said that they’d prefer to be treated by traditional means in a face to face consultation were asked to explain their reasons why; choosing all that applied from a list of possible answers. 81% of respondents cited that they would “prefer the human interaction” element during check-ups, while 59% said that they felt more comfortable “asking personal and private” health questions to a real doctor face to face, rather than to a remote doctor using the RP VITA.

In addition, 47% of respondents cited that they felt “uncomfortable” with the idea of their personal medical records being available online via cloud.

Respondents who had answered that they would prefer to be treated by remote doctors via the RP VITA were asked to explain their reasons why. 49% of respondents felt robot care would be “more cost-effective”, while 41% cited ‘shorter waiting periods’ as a factor. 33% felt there would be ‘fewer errors’ with a remote doctor via the RP-VITA.

When asked if choosing robot assisted care meant lower insurance cost and co-payments, 98% of respondents said they would consider this form of care if that was the case.

Mark Pearson, Chairman of CouponCodes4u.com said the following about the findings:

“With the costs of health care on the rise, we were intrigued by the news that some hospitals and healthcare providers were introducing robot assistants to help deal with the increase of patients and wanted to see if the American public would feel comfortable with the prospect of being treated by a remote doctor with the help of a robot.”

He continued:

“As the results show, the majority of Americans do not feel comfortable being treated by a remote doctor through a robot and even less so when it comes to their personal health records being available via cloud. What is important to mention, however, is the high percentage of Americans who would try this new method of treatment if it meant lower co-payment and insurance costs. With increasing numbers of Americans self medicating and diagnosing problems to avoid going to the doctor, it is vital to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible if there are persistent problems. Better to be safe than sorry!”