The following is a guest article by Matt Dickson, Vice President of Product, Strategy, and General Manager at Stericycle Communication Solutions.
Telehealth and virtual care have exploded during the current COVID-19 pandemic, building on the incremental growth and adoption seen in recent years. As patients look for safe ways to receive care, digital technology has grown in acceptance by both consumers and providers. From the boost in virtual visits, telehealth is now fulfilling its promise as a significant part of the patient journey. When used correctly, telehealth can be a powerful vehicle to drive patient access, action, and adherence while protecting provider revenue.
Marketing the ability to conduct virtual visits is important, but you also need to think about the patient experience. Your telehealth strategy can quickly fall off track if patients don’t have a good first experience. Here are four ways your hospital or health system can set your patients up for virtual visit success.
Identify Which Appointments Warrant a Telehealth Visit
While virtual visits are growing in popularity, health systems must realize that telehealth isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. For telehealth to remain relevant, providers need to focus on appointments that can be resolved successfully virtually. Otherwise, they risk alienating patients who may view virtual care as an unnecessary and costly step when their telehealth appointment results in a required follow-up office visit.
For minor medical issues including a cold virus or a sprained ankle, turning to a telehealth visit could be the best option for patients, especially if they are traveling. In fact, University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging revealed 64% of patients between the ages of 50 and 80 would be interested in a telehealth visit for an unexpected illness while traveling.
Telehealth follow-ups offer a convenient and efficient channel to deliver post-visit and post-operative care as well. The use of real-time, synchronous audio/video communication enables providers to conduct appointments remotely without the patient having to come back into the office. Add in remote low-tech patient monitoring, such as patient-reported glucose or blood pressure readings, to make the visit even more meaningful and efficient.
Understand that Telehealth Presents Access Challenges for Certain Patient Groups
The pandemic highlighted the importance of virtual visits, but also brought to light how telehealth visits can potentially create access challenges for certain patient groups. Some seniors, for example, don’t own a smart device or have access to the internet. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in 10 Americans live in poverty, and only 59% of those living in poverty have broadband access.
Logistical challenges such as a private space within one’s home or basic health literacy can also impact one’s ability to pursue telehealth visits. Non-native English speakers may not have a successful virtual visit since most telehealth platforms are built in the English language. According to a University of California primary care clinic in San Francisco, the number of visits with non-English speakers dropped by 50% when the center pursued a full telehealth strategy. Consider the needs of various patient groups when forming your virtual care strategy and make accommodations to reach parity when possible.
Provide Telehealth Tips Ahead of Time
The patient journey should not only be seamless in person, but virtually as well. This starts with arming patients with the necessary tools and resources they need to prepare for a successful virtual visit. First, send a test link and have the patient attempt to join the discussion to ensure he or she has the right hardware and technology for the upcoming visit. In addition, staff members should be available to prepare patients for the visit as well. Also, be sure to encourage patients to have a fully charged device prior to the appointment. The last thing you or the patient wants is to have their device die in the middle of the visit.
It’s also important to recommend the patient finds a quiet location for their appointment to reduce distractions—this includes muting the television, silencing their phone notifications, making arrangements for young children, and notifying others in their living space that they are attending a virtual appointment. Also, patients should have their list of medications and supplements handy. A healthcare professional who is seeing a patient for the first time needs a holistic view into any chronic health conditions and/or other important health issues as well as the prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements the person is taking. Finally, remind patients to jot down their questions prior to their virtual visit. This will help focus the conversation and ensure patients don’t leave their visit with lingering questions.
Incorporate Telehealth into Your Long-term Strategy
Communication Solutions US Consumer Trends in Patient Engagement Survey found that out of 500 participants, 29% of respondents said they did not utilize telemedicine services at all prior to the pandemic. But the number of virtual visits grew during the COVID-19 outbreak, 67% of respondents said they accessed care at least one during the pandemic. Primary care (19%), mental health (17%), and dermatology (17%) were the preferred types of medical appointments to use for telehealth services. Of note, the data suggests many patients do plan to return to in-person appointments once the pandemic is over, particularly to see certain types of providers and services including urology (16%), ear nose and throat (ENT) physicians (15%), and pulmonology (14%).
Practices and health systems should be well equipped to offer a hybrid care model to patients once the pandemic subsides. This year has taught us many things, but one thing is certain — the field of medicine has quickly embraced telehealth as a viable option that isn’t going away any time soon and needs a well thought out strategy to ensure patient satisfaction.
About Matt Dickson
Matt Dickson is Vice President of Product, Strategy, and General Manager of Stericycle Communication Solutions. He is a versatile leader with strong operational management experience and expertise providing IT, product, and process solutions in the healthcare industry for nearly 25 years. Find him on LinkedIn.
About Stericycle Communication Solutions
Stericycle Communication Solutions offers the most comprehensive patient engagement platform in the industry. We are the only provider that seamlessly combines both voice and digital channels to provide the modern experience healthcare consumers want while solving complex challenges to patient access, action, and adherence. For more information, visit us at www.stericyclecommunications.com, or on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
