The widespread adoption of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that it is not only possible to deliver care remotely, but it is imperative for hospitals and health systems to integrate telehealth as a standard service.
During a Becker's Hospital Review webinar held in December in collaboration with Teladoc Health, Shayan Vyas, MD, MBA, SVP and medical director at Teladoc Health, reviewed the company’s "2021 Telehealth Benchmark Survey" and discussed key current and future trends for virtual care.
Four key insights:
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Hospital and health system leaders can no longer view telehealth as a differentiator. The proven utility of telehealth along with patients' expectations that it be provided as an option means that having telehealth capacity is now a requirement rather than a strategic advantage, as it had been. "In previous years, telehealth programs were being stood up as either a competitive differentiator or to help with market share — and we're no longer seeing that," Dr. Vyas said.
Reflecting this reality, 94 percent of respondents to Teladoc Health's survey — a quarter of whom were health system CEOs — have implemented or will implement telehealth in the next year, while 62 percent are expanding current telehealth programs. Further, covered lives within a health organization's risk pool were identified as the second-highest priority population after existing patients when it comes to implementing targeted virtual care initiatives. -
Telehealth technologies underpin health systems' preparations for offering hybrid care. Hybrid modalities that enable more health services to be delivered as a mix of at-home and in-person care are considered an evolutionary step in patient centricity; telehealth technologies are facilitating this evolution. Within this context, key elements of health systems' plans include providing patients with connected consumer devices that enable remote monitoring and chronic condition management, as well as equipping provider organizations with the corresponding software, technical expansions and upgrades.
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Dedicated telehealth is more than videoconferencing. There is a misplaced notion among some providers that telehealth is synonymous with videoconferencing and therefore does not respond to real physical healthcare needs. But integrated telehealth solutions are much more than merely videoconferencing; when deployed holistically, they serve as a health system's front door by creating positive first patient experiences and by improving engagement with existing patients. Indeed, per Teladoc Health's survey, 41 percent of organizations that offer telehealth indicated that improving patient engagement is a priority, while 23 percent said it is a top priority.
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As providers seek greater involvement in risk management, telehealth emerges as an enabler. A Healthcare Financial Management Association survey found that health systems are increasingly looking to enter into risk-based contracts, including 52 percent who are targeting commercial employers, 49 percent looking at Medicare payment models, 36 percent focusing on Medicaid payment models and 33 percent looking into direct employer partnerships.
With growing awareness about the importance of integrated whole-person care to prevent and mitigate health risks, technologies that can be leveraged to improve care beyond the hospital setting, such as those that power telehealth, are indispensable tools. "Paired with our survey findings, we anticipate many more health systems will increasingly leverage virtual care to provide convenient yet efficient care as they manage more risk," Dr. Vyas said.
With telehealth having enjoyed unprecedented tailwinds as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers that embrace this new force for change stand to reap financial, reputational and care improvement benefits.
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