Telehealth In 2021: Expectations vs. Reality

Telehealth post-COVID-19 reality

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What is the expectation for telehealth in the coming months and years? As a practice, you may be unsure what to expect. The reality of investing in telehealth – will it create new access to revenue? Will it fully support patient needs? Does the rise of telehealth truly define the way healthcare functions in the coming years?

Telehealth is proliferating. According to American Hospital Association, in 2017, a full 76 percent of hospitals in the U.S. offered this service. An estimated 48 percent of physicians are using this technology today and did so during the COVID-19 pandemic last year. In March 2020, the CDC stated a 154 percent increase in the number of telehealth visits conducted over the prior year.

What does all of this mean for the future of telehealth? Is it just a pandemic-focused move?

Instead of making assumptions of what is to come or could happen, there are a few key things every organization should take into consideration.

The Rise of Telehealth

Telehealth has long been in development. While less used in 2019, telemedicine rose dramatically in 2020. Unable to meet doctors in-person for medications, treatment, and support, patients found telehealth incredibly advantageous. They could meet their physicians over a video consultation, and receive proper care and treatment in a safe, secure manner.

Telehealth in the Future

Here are some key expectations on telehealth use over the coming months and years.

COVID-19 Will Continue to Warrant Access

As COVID-19 response continues, so will the need to maintain social distancing and minimize contact. Even with a shift towards earlier detection and vaccination, doctors will need to offer telemedicine for multiple reasons:

  • Patients remain skeptical about coming to the office
  • There is a level of fear that the vaccination may not be effective
  • Doctors need to provide remote monitoring to those with underlying health conditions

Telehealth will expand in the coming months – providing more services for Covid-19 and non-COVID related needs. One of the growing needs is to improve access to testing, patient education, and care from a remote setting. Telemedicine will help slow the spread of the virus while ensuring patients receive the level of care they need.

Consumers Expect Access

Another critical component to the growth of telehealth in the future is the consumer approach. Earlier, medical care was not considered to be a business, patients went to the physicians that most certainly were covered by their insurance. Rarely did people shop for a doctor based on more than just the medical care given. Now, patients have become more alert and savvy in looking for providers who suit their needs.

The virtual medical visit, though, is one of the best tools for today’s consumers. It is hands down, more convenient, and offers more accessibility than any other method of meeting with doctors. Telemedicine software is changing the way providers respond to the needs of the patient. Offering virtual consultations will likely increase the practice of physicians who provide this service over those who do not.

Elevating the Standard of Care for Physicians

Telehealth providers may see an increase in the quality of care they provide while meeting the specific health care needs of their patients. It decreases a practice’s overhead costs along with the burden of maintaining a fully functional office space. Simultaneously, it enables doctors to use new tools to diagnose patients and create better access to holistic treatments.

At the same time, telehealth helps improve documentation management. Efficient documentation allows physicians to provide quality time and care to their patients during video consults. That creates a strong bond and an opportunity to build greater patient experience and better health outcomes.

The Benefits of Telemedicine

As noted by the CDC, medical practices have real opportunities for improvement and growth when they adopt telehealth services for their patients and community.

Some of those benefits include:

  • Better access to care. Those unable to come in for an appointment can still see their doctor and receive the care they need.
  • Supplies are protected, an important step in providing care during a pandemic when PPE was limited
  • Less risk of exposure to doctors and nurses, especially when treating illnesses from a distance.
  • Demand for facilities is less. This may change the way physicians operate. Some of them may no longer need a brick and mortar location.
  • Technology will continue to develop to improve access to care for all – whether child, geriatric, urban or rural setting

Data from these visits can easily be used to help improve healthcare services. Data integration itself may help to foster better results for care coordination by clinicians and healthcare organizations. While HIPAA rules must still be met, there will be innovations that enhance the way doctors and patients come together to support each other.

Robust access to telehealth services will define “older” practices from new, modern locations where patients seek out care more readily. It may help to improve care and save lives by providing better access in a more streamlined manner. For many, these are the true benefits.