The rise of telehealth has improved patient access to care along with increased provider productivity.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted business as usual for healthcare providers and patients. Those needing routine care were reluctant to seek it for fear of exposing themselves to the virus. Patients with chronic conditions or illnesses were not seen by healthcare professionals. One pediatric clinic, Happy Kids, in Phoenix, Arizona, faced a 40 percent reduction in patient volume during the pandemic.
Telehealth and Care Access
Practices such as Happy Kids had to find a way to continue providing care to patients who needed it. Telehealth provided a solution. Patients who need simple but essential forms of care, such as reviewing test results, annual check-ins with physicians, or prescription refills could receive this with telemedicine.
Telemedicine allowed many practices, such as Happy Kids, to continue operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided healthcare access to high-risk individuals or those who were concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus. It also allowed those facing other barriers to care, such as a lack of access to transportation, to receive medical care.
Telehealth and Productivity
In addition to expanding care access, telehealth has increased the productivity of many practices. A quarter of all pediatric appointments with Happy Kids happen via telemedicine. This allows providers to treat more patients in less time. Happy Kids was able to jump from between 1,800 and 2,000 visits per week to nearly 2,600 thanks to remote care.
Telehealth also saves patients time, as they do not have to travel to a doctor’s office and wait for their appointment. They can join their appointment from the comfort of their own home. Plus, appointments can be accessed using computers, smartphones, or tablets, reducing technical barriers to healthcare.
Get Certified
American Medical Compliance (AMC) is a leader in the industry for compliance, billing, and HR solutions. Learn more about integrating telehealth into your practice by taking AMC’s Telehealth Training for Healthcare Providers course. Visit https://americanmedicalcompliance.com/ for more information.
Reference
Healthcare IT News (2022, November 1). Telemedicine boosts value-based care performance for Happy Kids. Retrieved from: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/telemedicine-boosts-value-based-care-performance-happy-kids.
