The rapid rise of telehealth has transformed healthcare delivery, fueled by advancements in digital health technology and a global need for virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were many concerns about how quickly the virus was spreading across the public and negatively affecting people’s health. This led to the implementation of social distancing and quarantine measures, which caused many physicians to stop performing in-person visits to maintain their and their patients’ safety. However, there were many patients who were in need of care and had to receive treatments to prevent their health from worsening. As a result, many physicians shifted to carrying out virtual visits by using solutions, such as telehealth, in order to continue delivering care to their patients and treat them effectively.
With the use of technology, physicians were able to communicate with their patients using video or phone calls, allowing them to still connect with each other to ensure that they were following their care plans and managing their health conditions. After the pandemic, many physicians still provide telehealth in their practices because they recognize they can provide care to their patients efficiently and address their complex needs. Moreover, it can act as a better alternative option for patients who may be unable or find it difficult to attend their appointments in person. Telehealth has now become an integral part of healthcare systems worldwide, offering patients unprecedented access to medical care from the comfort of their homes.
The Value Telehealth Brings for Patients and Providers
Telehealth has become a valuable asset for both providers and patients. Empowering physicians to deliver care virtually can help improve their clinic’s workflows and enhance the quality of care. Telehealth offers numerous advantages, particularly in enhancing access to care, maximizing productivity, and reducing healthcare costs. Here are some more benefits of telehealth:
- Improved Patient Outcomes: The ability to monitor patients remotely allows for more timely interventions and better management of chronic conditions. For example, telehealth helps physicians to monitor patients with diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease, allowing them to adjust treatment plans as needed. This approach to healthcare can prevent complications, reduce hospital admissions, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
- Cost-Effective Approach to Care: Telehealth can reduce healthcare costs by minimizing the need for in-person visits, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits. Physicians are able to leverage telehealth to deliver interventions for chronic diseases that could lead to significant cost savings by reducing the need for inpatient care. Telehealth can reduce transportation fees for patients while saving providers their clinic’s resources.
- Convenience and Patient Satisfaction: Telehealth offers a level of convenience that is unparalleled in traditional healthcare settings. Patients can schedule appointments at times that are convenient for them without the need to travel or wait in a clinic. Physicians can easily meet their patients regardless of time and location and move from one visit to the next to optimize their practice’s efficiency. This convenience has led to increased patient satisfaction, with many patients expressing a preference for telehealth over in-person visits.
- Increased Revenue Opportunities: With many patients unable to attend their appointments in person due to various circumstances, this affects their ability to receive the appropriate treatments they require to improve their health while also leading to revenue loss for physicians. Telehealth can improve patient show rates by allowing them to see their providers without physically being there, enabling them to achieve optimal health outcomes. In addition, physicians can receive reimbursements for providing telehealth services to their patients and can bill Medicare, Medicaid, and some health insurance plans.
Telehealth Transforming Patient Engagement & Overcoming Barriers in Healthcare
Telehealth not only elevates the delivery of care but can empower patients to be active throughout their wellness journeys and take control of their health. Telehealth helps to facilitate communication between healthcare providers and their patients, which can strengthen their relationship and foster trust. Trust is a vital aspect of patient engagement because it enables them to manage their chronic conditions. It allows patients to become more open about their health, which can lead to better diagnoses and help them follow the care plans that were provided by their physicians. Additionally, patients can be encouraged to actively participate in their care by self-scheduling their appointments online and tailoring their treatment plans to better meet their needs. Sending personalized messages to patients increases their satisfaction and improves their decision-making regarding their health while keeping track of their progress by having access to their data.
Providing patients with educational resources and materials can help increase health literacy and keep them informed about their chronic conditions. Health literacy allows patients to gain the appropriate knowledge and insight needed to manage their health and achieve optimal health outcomes while encouraging them to adopt healthy lifestyle changes. Low health literacy can lead to consequences, such as poor health outcomes and lower quality of life. Equipping patients with information regarding chronic diseases helps them to protect their health and reduce their health risks for other conditions. Using telehealth technology allows providers to elevate the quality of care, communicate easily with their patients, prevent hospitalizations, and support their efforts to achieve better health for themselves.
Telehealth has played a pivotal role in reforming today’s healthcare delivery. Social determinants of health (SDOH) can significantly impact a person’s health, well-being, and their ability to access healthcare. Limited access to care can be detrimental to their health, especially for individuals living with chronic diseases, as they may require long-term management and immediate attention if their condition progresses. Factors including geographic barriers, lack of transportation resources, and poor health can affect a patient’s ability to travel to see their physician. With many providers offering virtual care to their patients, it contributes to their progress towards health equity by making healthcare more accessible. By significantly expanding access to healthcare, particularly for individuals in rural or underserved areas, many individuals can receive the care they need and provide them with the opportunity to improve their health.
Patients who previously had to travel long distances to see a physician can now receive care without leaving their homes. This can help patients feel at ease when receiving care and reduces time spent traveling. It also saves healthcare costs by lowering the use of emergency departments and hospitals. Another obstacle affecting patients’ access to care is the workforce shortages in healthcare. Patients living with complex health conditions may need to see a specialist in order to better meet their needs and follow a specific treatment plan. Telehealth can help address this barrier by allowing patients in areas with limited healthcare resources to see a specialist in a different hospital facility virtually. Providers can incorporate telehealth into their practices to deliver personalized, patient-centered care and remove SDOH that compromises their quality of life.
How Telehealth is Reshaping the Future of Care Delivery
Telehealth has fundamentally transformed the healthcare landscape, offering patients greater access, convenience, and cost-effectiveness in care delivery. Many providers adopted telehealth into their practices to meet the demands of their patients during the pandemic and are continuing to use it after acknowledging its benefits. From optimizing patient outcomes and clinical workflows to increasing patient engagement and satisfaction, telehealth can help transform their practices and achieve healthcare success. Telehealth has also been indicated to be crucial in chronic disease management by increasing patients’ adherence to medication and boosting their confidence in taking care of their health. With digital health technology, physicians can offer telehealth services at their convenience to patients who may not be able to travel and unlock new revenue opportunities for their practices.
Providers can address persistent inequities and SDOH in their practices by expanding their patient reach to ensure they receive the care they need. Conducting telehealth visits can help patients build a connection with their providers and take on a proactive role in their care, translating to better health outcomes. Leveraging telehealth solutions allows physicians to elevate patient experiences by reducing wait times and enabling them to prioritize enhancing care delivery. Moreover, telehealth can reduce the administrative workload for physician practices by encouraging patients to schedule appointments, saving their care team time. While challenges remain, the continued advancement of technology will ensure that telehealth remains a vital component of healthcare delivery in the future. As healthcare providers and patients alike continue to embrace telehealth, its role in the healthcare system will only grow, making it a critical area for ongoing research, investment, and innovation.
MDLand is dedicated to supporting physicians in expanding access and removing disparities in care. MDLand offers a comprehensive EHR, iClinic®, that streamlines workflow processes, allowing physicians to prioritize delivering high-quality care to patients. To learn more about iClinic®’s telehealth solution and how it increases clinical efficiency, schedule a demo.