Transforming the Medical Landscape: Telehealth Before, During + After COVID-19

By Ron Emerson, Global Healthcare Lead

Sometimes, innovation is to continue seeing pandemic started, many driven by necessity. The patients and keep their in the healthcare industry worst global health crisis practices open believe that telehealth in 100 years forced the healthcare community to change where and how it cares for patients, and telehealth has risen to ▶ Assemble global teams of medical experts for consultation and collaboration has evolved more in six months than in the last decade . Let’s take a look at how the pandemic has changed how we think play a number of critical roles during the COVID-19 pandemic . ▶ Allow frontline healthcare workers to examine patients about healthcare, and what we can expect postCOVID . Healthcare organizations are now using high-quality video to: ▶ Provide care to patients directly in their homes ▶ Enable providers remotely to conserve PPE and reduce their risk of exposure With providers now seeing 50 to 175 times more patients via telehealth since the Before COVID: Barriers to adoption Telehealth has been around for decades, but direct-to-consumer adoption didn’t take off until recently . When most people got sick, they went to the doctor’s office instead of logging on for a video visit — that’s just how it was .

Part of the reason was limited coverage for virtual visits. In a 2019 survey, 77% of physicians flagged reimbursement uncertainty as one of the biggest barriers to widespread telehealth adoption .

Medicare, for example, had spun up new telehealth Virtual visits have played strict rules when it came solutions or expanded a role in reducing noto reimbursement for existing programs to shows and appointment telehealth . Patients had to ensure continuity of cancellations, which cost live in a designated rural care for their patients . the industry billions of area and travel to a special Amazingly, nearly dollars a year, and nearly facility for their telehealth 1.3 million Medicare 75% of telehealth patients appointment . While it beneficiaries received reported high satisfaction helped patients access care virtually in the week with their experience . specialists they might not normally be able to see, they still had to travel — sometimes many miles — to receive care. Some providers were ending April 18, 2020, compared to just 11,000 visits in the week ending March 7 — days before pandemic restrictions were put in place . Telehealth for inpatient care As coronavirus cases surged across the U .S ., hospitals and medical centers used telehealth reluctant to adopt Bringing healthcare for inpatient care as a way telehealth, fearing it into the home to prioritize the safety and was unreliable or would Using technology to well-being of patients and affect their bottom line . reach people directly in medical staff: And while most patients who tried telehealth liked it, the technology simply wasn’t widespread enough to attract more than 11% of consumers in 2019 . their homes during the pandemic didn’t just reduce coronavirus spread, it revolutionized the way providers treat patients. Telehealth has become essential to: ▶ Virtual rounding reduced the number of frontline workers entering a patient’s room by allowing doctors to see and treat patients from the hallway using mobile During COVID: Providing primary and devices Telehealth transformation That all changed when the pandemic urgent care for common ailments like colds and earaches without exposing patients to the coronavirus ▶ Hospitals could bring in specialists from around the world to virtually consult on a patient’s care hit. Medical facilities and private practices closed, and no one knew when they’d be able to reopen . In response, the CARES Act expanded ▶ Conducting mental health appointments ▶ Triaging patients with COVID-19 symptoms from home ▶ Family members could stay involved with patient care, ask questions, and communicate virtually with providers telehealth coverage for Medicare, which became a turning point for virtual care. Providers could finally collect Medicare reimbursement for telehealth visits provided in the home . Health systems quickly ▶ Remotely monitoring patients with chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes ▶ Supporting healthy lifestyle changes, such as weight management or medication adherence ▶ In the most difficult situations, including end-of-life care, video communications gave family members the ability to spend precious time with their loved ones in the hospital

Other telehealth benefits medical landscape . ▶ Meet all your clinical Expanding telehealth Patients and providers and administrative needs, helped strengthen public alike are now more including integration with health systems and familiar and comfortable patient charts, medical improve health equity with telehealth, so it’s hard devices, diagnostic by reaching populations to imagine asking them to tools, and other clinical that have long been go back to the way things applications, to streamline underserved or struggled were . patient care with access to care . People living in rural areas, patients lacking reliable transportation or the ability to take time off work, and those with medical conditions that made it difficult to leave the house can now get care when and how it’s most convenient for them. In addition to enabling quality care delivery, So, what can providers do to prepare for the future of healthcare? First, assume the demand for telehealth is only going to grow . Consumer adoption of telehealth more than tripled from 11% in 2019 to 46% as of April 2020, and Frost + Sullivan predicts the telehealth market will see a sevenfold growth rate by 2025 . ▶ Enable HIPAA/PIPEDA compliance, with rigorous attention to keeping patient data secure and private ▶ Have a user-friendly, easy-to-access experience that accommodates all patients, including those with special accessibility needs and low digital literacy telehealth has changed the competitive landscape for private healthcare, giving providers opportunities to provide cost-effective, convenient care to an increased number of patients . This introduces new revenue streams while allowing providers to save money, address resource shortages, and maintain a competitive edge in an If you deployed your telehealth program in response to COVID-19, now’s the time to move your approach from reactionary to strategic . Continue to build a competitive program of telehealth capabilities and offerings, enabled by a robust digital platform, to reach more patients and gain market share . ▶ Offer flexible options and capabilities that support your practice’s customized workflows Telehealth will continue to play a major role in a hybrid model of care that emphasizes treating patients where and how they prefer — at home, on the go, or in person . With this shift, the industry will reduce costs, waste fewer increasingly consumerdriven healthcare market. After COVID: Preparing for the future of telehealth We don’t know when the COVID-19 pandemic will be over, or what the world will look like once it is . What most experts agree on is that 2020 has transformed the global Your telehealth solution should: ▶ Have high-quality, reliable audio and video, so you can communicate with, examine, diagnose, monitor, and treat patients virtually, even those with low bandwidth or outdated devices resources, increase access to care, and improve patient outcomes . Learn More Ready to upgrade?

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