Before the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the booming telemedicine market was on a sluggish trajectory. Despite continuous technological advancement, the adoption rate was still low.
Experts predict that this will gradually change in the next three to five years. More and more digital natives will become parents and refuse the simulated experience of traveling to and from the child’s pediatrician’s office, preferring to save time and reduce stress through virtual visits. At the same time, the on-demand, consumer-centric revolution that has disrupted a wide range of industries will extend to healthcare, driving higher demand for telemedicine.
However, if a compelling set of positive incentives should persuade the major players in the healthcare ecosystem to accept telemedicine, there are other plans in reality.With the outbreak of the new coronavirus last year, this epidemic has spawned a series of negative incentives and promoted the use of telemedicine Soaring up to 175 times The pre-pandemic level.
For fear of contracting the virus and facing lockdown restrictions, patients opted for digital alternatives rather than face-to-face medical appointments. At the same time, as revenue plummeted, suppliers turned to telemedicine to stop the bleeding. Insurance companies—both government and private payers—are scrambling to support their members by providing reimbursements for digital care services.
As insurance companies make plans for the post-pandemic world, now is the time to make this transition permanent. This is why telemedicine is indispensable for the future of healthcare-and how payers transition to a virtual-priority care model.
Why
The global pandemic only promoted widespread adoption, but the conclusion has long existed and is now clearer than ever: telemedicine is effective.
National survey of 1,594 doctors tell a story. Three-quarters of clinicians report that telemedicine services enable them to provide quality care to patients, 60% said that telemedicine has improved patient treatment outcomes, and 80% said that telemedicine helps to get timely care . At the same time, 61% of people agree that telemedicine can help reduce the cost of medical services. Therefore, it is not surprising that more than two-thirds of doctors plan to increase their use of telemedicine tools.
Pre-pandemic research also shows that telemedicine is Especially effective In terms of reducing costs and achieving high-quality results for patients-a real win-win situation.
The promise of telemedicine extends from pediatric visits to elderly care.As the proportion of the elderly in the population Climbing in the next few decades, Millions of people will suffer from chronic diseases-telemedicine services such as remote patient monitoring (RPM) are critical to meeting the growing demand for healthcare.
In addition to providing effective alternatives to face-to-face care in a wide range of use cases, including emergency and primary care, chronic and complex care, and behavioral health, increasing telemedicine also means improving patient access to care in areas facing a shortage of medical service providers Opportunities for different professions.
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Although negative incentives may have contributed to the surge in telemedicine last year, paying attention to the use of positive incentives is essential to consolidate the long-term role of telemedicine in future healthcare.
Governments and private payers need to better define and more predictable reimbursements and prices in order to optimize their resource planning and provide effective virtual care. Mainstreaming the design of virtual priority plans may usher in a new era of value-based care—provided that the telemedicine solution being implemented is designed with the continuity of care in mind.
Making the transition work will require advanced solutions to enhance and improve the current telemedicine methods that rely on telephone or video access. In order to fulfill its promise, telemedicine must cover deeper and wider clinical use cases without compromising the quality of care. This means that in the future, clinical-level telemedicine technology will become consumer household products, serve as a gateway for consumers to obtain care, support the collection of clinical examination data and perform diagnosis. These solutions must also achieve seamless integration of each virtual interaction with the patient’s electronic medical record. This is essential to strengthen preventive medicine, improve patient prognosis, and provide a simplified and coordinated care experience to offset some of the negative effects of virtual care, including increasing the use of additional care.
Patients will benefit from lower premiums, out-of-pocket expenses and co-payments-in addition to the convenience of receiving care in the comfort of their own home. When a personal visit is required, the provider can receive recommendations within the network after the initial virtual participation.
Although the transition to digital healthcare has brought great promise, it will not be able to realize its full potential if sufficient measures are not taken to address the digital divide. Expanding access to virtual care in a community environment can even enable non-clinically trained caregivers, case managers, and community members to provide assistance to those most in need (especially the elderly, communities of color, and the poor) Care.
The experience of Covid-19 has generated an undeniable momentum behind telemedicine and accelerated the innovation of the entire healthcare system. To maintain this momentum, we must first focus on establishing a positive incentive structure, which will benefit patients, providers, and payers.
Photo Credit: Sorbet, Getty Images
