The coronavirus prompted the rapid adoption of telemedicine technology so that providers could continue caring for their patients amidst stay-at-home orders and restrictions on in-person care.
With patients depending on regular care from their providers, remote care/telehealth virtual visits offered a vital solution to the decline of COVID-19.
As the pandemic continues to unfold, providers everywhere are thankful that telehealth is enabling them to keep caring for their patients. A question many providers are asking is what does the future of telehealth look like?
1) Increased Accessibility
Although telehealth technology has been around for several years, many providers had yet to adopt a solution prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Even if a provider offered a solution, patients were not always eager to engage with this platform.
The COVID-19 response has many patients visiting with their providers via telehealth for the very first time. It is expected that patients will continue to visit with their providers this way, even once the pandemic is over. With increased accessibility for busy individuals, this tool offers an extremely convenient visit alternative that enables patients to remain fully engaged in their care. The elimination of office wait times and travel costs has many realizing that telehealth is still an effective way to visit with their physicians.
2) Fewer Telehealth Restrictions
In an effort to make it simpler for providers to quickly implement a telehealth solution at their practice, many of the regulations and restrictions that relate its implementation have been temporarily suspended.
It is hard to tell what telehealth adoption will look like after the pandemic is over, but the loosened restrictions have many providers adopting solutions at a rapid pace. It is expected that many of the providers who were previously hesitant to adopt a telehealth solution will realize its usefulness and continue to offer some sort of virtual visit option to their patients in the future, as well.
3) Simple to Implement
Due to the fact that telehealth technology has existed, to some degree, for the better part of a decade, quality software solutions and vendors are already on the market. By partnering with an experienced vendor, providers can quickly implement a solution that is proven to work for practices without compromising the already thinly stretched workflow of their organization. A quality vendor of telehealth technology will be present throughout implementation, and after, to make sure your team is always taken care of.
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4) Increased Profitability
Telehealth offers providers a chance to increase revenue and grow their bottom line. With telehealth visits being shorter on average than a traditional in-person visit, physicians are able to tend to more patients in one day without compromising the quality of patient care. The shorter times have to do a reduction in wait times and patient intake, which are completed ahead of time. The patient simply logs on moments before their visit, providers access all relevant information in the patient’s chart, and complete a visit just the same as an in-person interaction. With more services rendered in one day, this tool introduces an increase in revenue to your practice.
5) Improve Patient Engagement
Lastly, telehealth increases patient engagement by giving your patients a simple and accessible way to remain engaged with their providers. The elimination of wait times, travel costs, and disruptions in their normal scheduled prompt patients to adhere to regular visits as well as follow-up care.
This is especially true for patients who live noticeably farther from their provider than average, allowing them to stay on top of their care plan and meet with their physician or specialists more often.
To learn more about a telehealth solution that can help you, click here.