Healthcare is an industry that is always rapidly evolving. With COVID-19, we have been witnessing the expansion and integration of virtual care or telehealth. Technology, especially mobile and video, remains the predominant communication and life tool, so it would only be natural for the future of healthcare to include and utilize these technologies.

Telehealth is not a new concept and has been talked about for well over 70 years. The US government first started studies in the 1960s, where they used telemedicine to treat war zones, astronauts, and Native Americans on reservations. They saw some success, but the technology was not there yet to execute to its full potential. Turn the clock ahead 60 years and now telehealth is more than an idea, it is a reality.

According to The American Telemedicine Association, approximately half of the hospitals in the U.S. have some form of functional telehealth operation. Before COVID-19, only 13% of patients in the U.S. had experienced some form of telehealth, according to Piplsay. In the past, virtual care has raised some concerns from both patients and providers. These problems included but were not limited to, HIPPA-approved security, workflow integration, and the overall effectiveness of telemedicine. This is primarily due to factors such as lack of technical training for medical professionals and comfort level with patients. This view has begun to change since the country has had no choice but to turn to virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With COVID-19, the country was thrown into a telehealth crash course, and the results are overwhelmingly positive. The rapid growth of telehealth is due to the need to avoid exposure to the virus. About 70 percent of in-person visits have been canceled, and healthcare facilities are experiencing 50 to 175 times the number of telehealth visits since coronavirus began; per a recent report by McKinsey & Company. For patients that have medical conditions unrelated to Covid-19, virtual care makes it possible to deliver care remotely, without the risk of virus exposure.

Patients, along with healthcare professionals, have begun to see the benefits of virtual care. Telemedicine improves access to care for rural areas that do not have convenient access to hospitals or doctors’ offices’. Another key benefit is how it improves the patient experience. Think of the last time you went into a doctor’s office. Do you remember the 30-minute drive to and from the facility? The hour of sitting in the waiting area to be taken back to your room? Having to wait another 30 minutes for the doctor to come to see you? And then, only have 10 minutes of Facetime with the physician? When all is said and done, you have spent 3 hours of your day just to spend ten minutes with the physician. With telehealth, you can be seen and diagnosed within 20 minutes.

Healthcare personnel are also seeing how telemedicine can help to shoulder the burden of community health centers. This has alleviated some of the stress that comes with serving and making sure every patient is cared fo,r and nobody is left out on receiving their fundamental right to healthcare.

Telehealth is far from where it needs to be, but it will continue to evolve rapidly. Here at AlediumHR we are seeing adjustments being made as the healthcare community learns more and become more comfortable with virtual care after Covid_19 is contained, Day by Day, telehealth will continue to rapidly evolve and transform the way healthcare is delivered. It will be interesting to see how telehealth continues to become a part of the normal healthcare routine in the U.S. Our clients are working diligently to make sure that every patient receives the highest quality care possible.