The Doctor Will Zoom You Now: A Physician's Guide To The Next Era Of Telehealth
The Doctor Will Zoom You Now: A Physician's Guide To The Next Era Of Telehealth James Wantuck, Forbes Councils Member
Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of PlushCare & Chief Medical Officer – Care at Accolade.
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Telehealth has witnessed a remarkable expansion in recent years, revolutionizing the health landscape and reshaping how healthcare is delivered.
A recent Kaiser Permanente study, for example, showcases telehealth’s effectiveness for patients, highlighting enhancements like convenient accessibility, lower rates of return office visits and hospitalizations and more patient involvement.
With patients taking a more active role in their health, virtual care has expanded to address specialized care and monitor chronic conditions more closely. Patients have also adopted telehealth to connect with specialists such as urologists and gastroenterologists, further evolving patient care.
Drawing from these foundational achievements in telehealth, the industry is now charting a course toward a future where healthcare is not only more accessible but deeply personalized, blending pioneering technology with innovative care strategies to benefit patients and physicians alike.
The following roadmap outlines what we can expect from the next iteration of telehealth, including transformative shifts and challenges.
Connectivity Cure: Prioritizing Both Patient and Physician Needs
Historically, the gaps in communication between healthcare providers and patients have often led to delayed interventions and essential care. As virtual care continues to evolve, ongoing communication will continue to be a key aspect for timely access to medical expertise, enhancing proactive health management and addressing key issues before they escalate.
Instead of a one-off video visit, telehealth will become a continuous form of care. This means patients might have a video visit one day, followed by a chat session the next. Over the next week, their smartphone will be collecting data about them, which will then be summarized by AI and sent back to the doctor ensuring they are continuously connected.
This shift improves the quality of patient-physician interactions, making healthcare more personable and engaging. There must be a paradigm shift in expectations and standards for communicating with our patients. The old and broken system can’t simply be digitized.
Modernized communication has also helped alleviate physician burnout. According to a report from the American Medical Association, doctors utilizing telehealth reported reduced burnout levels compared to traditional care models. The flexibility with virtual care will continue to allow physicians to manage their schedules more efficiently, reducing the need for commutes and streamlining administrative tasks, further promoting a more balanced work-life dynamic.
Bridging Gaps: Enhanced Remote Patient Monitoring And Smart Devices
The next generation of telehealth brings a new way of delivering healthcare with advanced remote patient-monitoring tools. These tools can track health data such as blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar levels and share this data directly with providers, enabling real-time analytics.
The deluge of data should no longer overwhelm clinicians as AI helps to pare down the data into essential insights and alerts us to critical values. The merging of these worlds enhances the quality of care and opens new avenues for medical research and education.
Remote patient monitoring is also redefining chronic disease management through connected devices. As smartwatches and similar data collection devices continue to be more medicalized, expect the data to flow into a physician’s hands. This integration of telehealth with traditional care promises to deliver more timely and efficient healthcare interventions. A study found that 42% of smartwatch users talked to their physicians about their tracked health data including heart rate and sleep. This trend will only continue.
However, the implementation of enhanced devices for health also increases the need for technological literacy. As we continue to integrate this new roadmap of healthcare delivery, it is important to consider disparities in accessing video telehealth services. Organizations can consider deploying technology resources and technology literacy training programs to improve patient access to telehealth services, expand rural broadband and ensure we aren’t leaving our most vulnerable citizens behind.
These healthcare enhancements are especially crucial for those who don’t live near medical facilities. Roughly 57 million Americans live in rural areas around the country, but only around 12% of doctors practice in these communities.
A hybrid model of care with remote patient monitoring and connected smart devices increases access, allowing these populations to not only receive adequate care but also stay on top of their health. It reduces the stress of traveling to the doctors and leads to more timely interventions due to continuous management of health conditions.
Beyond the Screen: Synergy Between Virtual and Physical Worlds
While telehealth significantly extends the scope of healthcare, it is designed to complement, not replace, the in-person care model.
In-person diagnostics and treatment remain important for certain conditions and individuals. This dual approach can streamline the management of chronic conditions and underscore the value of personalized care in maintaining optimal health. By leveraging the unique advantages of both virtual and in-person encounters, healthcare providers can offer a well-rounded and effective care regimen, ensuring that every patient receives the highest standard of care tailored to their specific needs.
Embracing these telehealth advancements is not just a trend but a necessary step toward a healthier and more connected future. As telehealth continues to evolve, further integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), novel diagnostic devices and 5G promises a future of personalized and efficient patient care. Additionally, the importance of supportive policies and regulations in fostering telehealth's growth cannot be overstated, as they will ensure quality and privacy in virtual care.
Ultimately, the next era of telehealth is going to pave the way for a healthcare system that is more accessible, patient-focused and innovative, making optimal health more achievable for all.
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