When online shopping was introduced, mom-and-pop stores started to struggle without an online presence because they couldn’t compete with big-box retailers like Amazon.
Cardiologist Steve Ommen Mayo Clinic Platform Conference On Wednesday, he talked about the future of telehealth.
“Like all other parts of our economy, [patients] Their needs are being met in real time, but we are still forcing people to stop their lives to get care,” Ommen said. “So if we can engage where they are, improve their care and reduce their anxiety about health, then We will be of great help here. “
Although telehealth existed before Covid-19, the pandemic has accelerated its adoption. In-person care at Mayo Clinic has fallen sharply and telehealth use has surged. At the start of Covid-19, health systems actually provided more virtual care than in-person care, according to Ommen. In-person care has rebounded late in the pandemic, but telehealth usage remains higher than it was before the pandemic.
“End of November [2020], we’re actually seeing more patients a day than we were in February before the pandemic, because we’re reaching out to people, monitoring them in their homes, communicating more information with them,” he said. “So it’s Actually improving the total number of lives we help. “
But the question now is, what happens when the public health emergency ends? Is there evidence that telemedicine is actually beneficial?
According to Ommen, the Mayo Clinic data says yes.in a polls Completed in early 2021, with 2,007 respondents, the majority said they would choose a telehealth visit over an in-person visit. Additionally, two-thirds of patients said they would delay care if they did not have a telehealth option. Satisfaction was nearly identical when looking at patient satisfaction responses to in-person care via phone or video.
“Whether you see someone in the office, or you see them on video, maybe on the phone, patients say ‘I like to see my doctor this way. It’s convenient for me,'” Ommen said .
Mayo Clinic also being investigated From July 13 to August 15, 2020, 1,594 doctors and other healthcare professionals also benefited. Most said their organizations are now motivated to increase the use of telehealth.
Additionally, the survey found that while patients felt they were receiving quality care, physicians were also satisfied with the quality of care they were providing.
“They didn’t feel any difference in what they were doing,” Ommen said.
Many providers have financial concerns when it comes to delivering telehealth, Ommen said. Adding telehealth capabilities comes with costs, and virtual care has less revenue than in-person care.
“To me, it’s a little short-sighted,” Omen said. “It’s about looking at the cost of the day and we should look at what happens to the patient after the visit and see how it works.”
A Mayo Clinic study found that seeing patients initially via video followed by a follow-up visit to a health care facility six months later had higher net operating income than an initial in-person visit followed by a follow-up visit.
“It’s probably because we’re selecting patients who need Mayo Clinic-level care, some of whom have had very complex procedures here, that’s why the numbers are so high,” Omen said.
According to Ommen, people who really need testing can also get tested more easily, patients can get appointments faster, and staffing is optimized.
There are also financial benefits to patients, Ommen said. On average, Mayo Clinic patients must travel about 700 miles. Patients can save about $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs related to gas, lodging, vacation and other expenses by having follow-up visits virtually rather than in person.
Going forward, Ommen expects digital health to be more persistent and important in healthcare delivery. Like a retail store without an online presence, providers will struggle without adding virtual care.
“Telemedicine is one of the tools that helps us take care of our patients more easily, better, and more holistically,” Ommen said.
Photo: verbaska_studio, Getty Images
