3 themes will define virtual health care strategies in 2021
As telehealth use grows, the conversation has evolved into a broader discussion of the role of digital technology in care delivery.
The past year has seen an explosion in both the demand for virtual care and in the sophistication of digital technology.
“This is a rare moment in history when technology, policy and urgency to change converge,” said Dr. John Halamka, president of Mayo Clinic Platform. “I call that the perfect storm for innovation.”
A new white paper, “COVID-19 and Healthcare’s Virtual Transformation,” examines recent developments in telehealth. In early 2020, before the widespread transmission of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., telehealth was used to conduct less than 1% of patient visits. By early April, more than 51% of clinical visits across specialties were being conducted via telehealth.
Related: 5 virtual health care trends driving employers’ health care strategies
Besides increased usage, virtual care has become more significant in a health-care organization’s overall strategy. At the start of COVID-19, many providers began using telehealth primarily as a stopgap measure to continue seeing patients. As both patients and providers have become more proficient with the use of telehealth, the conversation at leading health-care organizations has evolved into a broader discussion of the role of digital technology in the future of care delivery.
There is a strong belief that combining virtual and in-person care will provide both patients and physicians with a more engaging care experience and may help address a number of deficiencies in the current system, including issues that contribute to health disparities.
“Becker’s Hospital Review” sought the expertise of leading provider executives, health plan innovators and tech industry experts to learn more about health care’s virtual transformation.
Three themes will define virtual care strategies in 2021 and beyond:
1. Marriage of virtual and in-person care. The future of care will not involve binary choices between virtual and in-person care but will rather merge these modes of delivery to provide comprehensive, continuous care through a new blended model.
2. Unified and interoperable data analytics platforms. Providers, health plans and technology innovators will not be able to deploy in-person and virtual care synchronously without seamless data exchange across their organizations.
3. Technology in support of an improved health-care experience. Virtual care is not about replicating the in-person experience. Instead, it is an opportunity to reimagine care delivery in a new way. Technology should serve as the vehicle to support new patient-focused care models.
“Virtual care is here to stay, but in-person care is still crucial,” the white paper concluded. “This means health-care leaders need to think critically about the ideal care models and answer this question: How can you integrate new virtual solutions to both supplement and replace in-person interactions in ways that improve efficiency and the care experience?
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