The pandemic upended the healthcare industry and forced payers, providers and patients alike to reimagine the experiences of giving and receiving care. For nearly all of 2020, the healthcare industry relied on digital solutions to bring healthcare to people when they needed it, wherever they needed it.
Even with the return of in-person visits, a study from Qualtrics Research commissioned by Zoom showed that more than half of U.S. patients who used telehealth during the pandemic planned to continue to attend a mix of virtual and in-person appointments in the future. Virtual appointments provide a convenient way to access routine healthcare, eliminating the need to commute for a brief appointment.
However, the accessibility of telehealth is still something that many struggle to obtain. For older patients and for those without personal smart devices, for example, utilizing digital solutions can be cumbersome and confusing––particularly if you are already tired from dealing with an illness. Zoom is continuously working to remove the friction in accessing care, so that anyone can access their providers simply and seamlessly.
As a result, Zoom is working on a feature for healthcare that will allow patients to join a call with their doctor through a simplified, straightforward join experience. With this new capability, patients won’t need to have the Zoom app downloaded––one click on the Zoom link and selecting “join from your browser” will open up a Zoom meeting right in their web or mobile browser, enabling greater ease of use with the same level of security and privacy as before.
Here are five ways the Zoom web and mobile client release is going to make telehealth better for everyone:
- It’s a frictionless, simplified experience. Elderly and sick patients need care now, and may not be familiar with a download flow. With the Zoom web and mobile client release, a simplified Zoom meeting right in the browser will bring them face-to-face with their doctor––no tech expertise needed.
- It saves time and peace of mind for doctors and patients. These upcoming features from Zoom will ensure that doctors can help their patients without spending precious minutes playing tech support, and hospital IT professionals won’t need to coach patients on how to download an app prior to the start of an appointment.
- Doctors still get the powerful benefits of the full Zoom experience in the app, like full meeting host controls and virtual background. Patients get a simplified video experience with no distractions from what matters most: time with their doctor.
- Using the web or mobile client combined with Zoom’s ability to launch a test meeting, patients can check their camera and microphone are good to go before the appointment starts. Clicking the meeting link and selecting “join from your browser” will bring up an opportunity to test camera and sound, making sure a patient is all ready to go when the appointment begins. The experience is easier and simpler to use than ever, reducing the need to support patients with IT resources.
- Everyone needs healthcare––and with the web and mobile client for Zoom, now everyone can access the care they need. No matter where you are on the continuum of care, one link can take you to your doctor.
“I talk with our clients every day, and I heard about the need to remove this friction point for them,” said Heidi West, Head of Healthcare, Zoom. “We want to provide equitable access to care for all. Delivering happiness to customers is our mission here at Zoom, and we will continue to work closely with our clients to enhance the Zoom experience.”
One of those customers, the University of Vermont Health Network, shared how the upcoming features will help serve their patients. The UVMHN is a six-hospital health network and the primary healthcare provider in their region, serving over one million mostly-rural patients in Vermont and upstate New York. Zoom for Healthcare powers their Virtual Video Care program.
“For us, Virtual Video Care is a key strategy to overcome issues of access to care and transportation,” said Todd Young, Associate Vice President, Digital Health Services, UVMHN. “Zoom’s platform allowed us to scale our program using a technology our patients and providers were familiar with. Our Patient Access Service Center contacts patients prior to their visits to help the patients prepare for their visits by testing their devices, downloading the current Zoom client, and answering any visit process questions. We feel the ability to join Zoom without the need to download the desktop client will remove a friction point for our patients and ease the support burden on our teams.”
The upcoming web and mobile client release is just one of the ways Zoom is innovating along the continuum of care. Stay tuned for more about how Zoom is building a smooth, frictionless telehealth experience that plugs right into your existing workflows.