At the start of 2020, telehealth was seen as a way to make healthcare more accessible, but few people used it. Rules about payments and licensing made it harder for doctors and patients to use telehealth. Also, many were not familiar with it.
When COVID-19 started, people needed to avoid seeing others face-to-face. Telehealth visits in the U.S. went up by 50% from January to March 2020 compared to the same time in 2019. In the last week of March 2020 alone, visits jumped by 154%. This was possible because some rules were relaxed. For example, Medicare allowed more payments for telehealth and let doctors from other states treat patients remotely.
Most people using telehealth then were adults aged 18 to 49, making up almost two-thirds of visits. About 63% of these users were females. Visits related to COVID-19 symptoms also rose from 5.5% to 16.2%. Around 69% of telehealth patients were treated at home without needing to visit a clinic, which helped reduce pressure on emergency rooms during the peak of the pandemic.
Patient engagement means how actively patients join in managing their health and making decisions. Telehealth and other digital tools help improve the interaction between patients and doctors.
Patricia Deyo from George Washington University studied patient engagement during telehealth visits. She found that trust between patients and doctors is very important. There are four key parts to building this trust:
Deyo’s study showed that when these points are followed, telehealth visits can lead to similar or better results than in-person visits. This is useful as many clinics think about keeping telehealth in the future.
Chronic diseases like asthma, heart failure, diabetes, and high blood pressure need steady monitoring and care. Telehealth can help with this.
A big study of over 33,000 Medicare patients with chronic diseases looked at 93 clinics with different amounts of telehealth use during the pandemic. They studied emergency visits, hospital stays, and care continuity.
The study found no clear difference in emergency visits or hospital admissions between clinics that used a lot of telehealth and those that used less. But clinics with more telehealth had better care continuity. Patients saw their regular doctors more often. This was especially true for patients with higher incomes, many health problems, those living in cities, and White or Hispanic patients.
These results show that telehealth can keep good care going and help the patient-doctor relationship, even during tough times. This is important for managing long-term health problems.
Medical clinics and IT teams see both benefits and challenges with telehealth.
Benefits include:
Challenges include:
The pandemic helped lower many barriers with new rules and more experience. But work is still needed to fix ongoing problems.
Besides telehealth, other digital tools help improve healthcare and patient results.
These tools include:
Using these tools can lower office work, increase patient satisfaction, and help reduce staff burnout by cutting repetitive tasks.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are becoming important for making telehealth and patient engagement better.
Some companies, like Simbo AI, create AI phone systems for healthcare offices. These systems handle scheduling, confirming visits, answering patient questions, and routing calls. This helps busy clinics by reducing mistakes and wait times while giving patients quick replies.
AI phone systems can:
AI also helps by sending reminders, offering screening questionnaires, and predicting health risks from patient data. This supports doctors in managing many patients and prioritizing care.
For example, automated reminders from AI lower no-show rates and improve following medication schedules. When AI tools are linked to telehealth platforms and Electronic Health Records (EHR), care becomes easier to coordinate and doctors get helpful details.
AI and automation systems in healthcare must follow strict data rules like HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 2. Some companies provide secure platforms for managing these digital tools and help improve financial systems too.
The early days of COVID-19 made telehealth move from a rare choice to a common way to deliver care. Though emergency policies helped this happen, many providers want to keep telehealth going.
Medical leaders should keep in mind:
Medical practice leaders, owners, and IT managers in the U.S. should consider lessons from the rise in telehealth use during and after COVID-19.
By managing these areas well, clinics can meet current healthcare needs and be ready for future changes in care delivery.
The growth of telehealth during the pandemic and its ongoing changes show healthcare moving toward more flexible and tech-based services. Clinics that use these tools well can provide good care, improve patient experience, and run efficiently in the future.
Digital patient engagement tools are electronic platforms that allow healthcare providers to interact with patients. They facilitate appointment scheduling, reminders, and educational materials, helping patients manage their health and improve communication with providers.
Telehealth offers remote healthcare access through video conferencing, phone calls, and texts. It provides convenience for patients, enabling effective care delivery without needing to visit a clinic, thereby improving engagement, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remote monitoring enables providers to track a patient’s health data in real-time. This facilitates timely interventions and enhances communication between visits, fostering a strong partnership between patient and provider.
Providing patients with educational materials empowers them to understand their health conditions and treatment options. Informed patients are more likely to take an active role in their care, thereby enhancing health outcomes.
Patient portals encourage patients to track health data, schedule appointments, and communicate with providers. They enhance engagement by providing easy access to health information and resources.
Follow-up surveys allow providers to gather feedback on patient satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. They help build trust between patients and providers by showing that patient opinions are valued.
Digital engagement tools can reduce healthcare costs by minimizing expensive in-person visits through remote care options, improving adherence to treatment plans, and encouraging the use of preventive services.
Customization ensures that engagement tools meet the specific needs of healthcare organizations. Each provider may require different functionalities, making tailored solutions crucial for effective implementation.
These tools minimize administrative tasks, allowing staff to focus more on patient care. As a result, it can improve staff satisfaction and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
Effective patient engagement solutions must integrate smoothly with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) while ensuring robust security measures to protect patient data and comply with regulations.
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