Exciting News for Healthcare Innovators! The "Global Telehealth Growth Opportunities" report by Research and Markets reveals the transformative potential of telehealth in driving value-based care and health equity initiatives.
A bit of a longer post today, but it is jam-packed with information surrounding the idea that we can reduce the burden on our healthcare system using telehealth to shift primary and non-emergency visits to virtual channels. We will break down the overarching theme of the 6 topics within this report, but I encourage you to purchase and read the full report from Research and Markets.
It is only expected that telehealth will continue to gain traction when you consider the potential positive effects it has on not only the patient but also the clinicians. In this report, Frost & Sullivan said "Telehealth is gaining popularity as it saves healthcare costs and hospital travel time. It is convenient for consumers, especially the elderly and disabled, to access services from home. Healthcare organizations have been facing skilled workforce shortages and clinician burnout across the world, leading to burdened healthcare systems."
The next implication of not offering virtual care is centered around geographic and socioeconomic factors. Telehealth has the potential to offer medical care to those that may not currently have access due to many factors such as lack of transportation, high costs, and time constraints. Frost & Sullivan predict that "Telehealth reduces the burden by shifting primary and non-emergency in-person visits to virtual channels. Disparities in healthcare accessibility across geographies are a critical challenge as large populations from developing regions lack access to basic healthcare and medicine."
Finally, we have to consider the looming provider shortage that is predicted and how this will affect our patients. In the areas where physicians are limited, patients don't have access fo the care they need- let alone specialty care, triage, or mental health care. Implementing a telehealth system in communities that are medically underserved "supports healthcare across underserved regions where physicians are scarce. Virtual visits, remote patient monitoring, digital therapeutics (DTx), and personal emergency response systems (PERS) are recording consistent growth due to their critical role in addressing patient and provider challenges. Providers reluctant to embrace virtual visits adopted it during the pandemic and are now focusing on developing those capabilities. RPM is considered an effective tool in chronic disease management and holds immense potential to revolutionize the entire practice. Provider organizations, such as hospitals, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and group practices, prefer DTx solutions to control patient care cost and quality before visits and after discharge." - Frost & Sullivan
This comprehensive research highlights the immense growth opportunities worldwide, revolutionizing patient-clinician interactions through remote patient monitoring and virtual consultations. We as healthcare innovation leaders can collaborate to ensure equitable access to quality care for all as we embrace this telehealth revolution!