Telehealth has quickly become the new normal for healthcare as we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. As we reflect on 2020 and look forward to 2021, here is our monthly roundup of today’s important healthcare topics and trends in telehealth, including patient perceptions of telehealth, technology’s role in helping to provide exceptional care, and how mental and behavioral health fits into virtual care systems.
‘Sleeping Giant’ of Telehealth Awoke in 2020, and Here’s Who Rose to the Challenge
Healthcare IT News
While there’s no denying the quick growth of telehealth technology vendors after the COVID-19 pandemic began, the ability of those vendors to deliver seamless, quick services varies according to a report from KLAS. While focused solutions, like Caregility and Mend, have seen high customer satisfaction, telehealth giants like Amwell have started to lose traction. Read more here.
Psychiatry is Revealing the Potential – and Pitfalls – of Telehealth
Harvard Business Review
Telemedicine has expanded exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still many challenges to overcome as telehealth becomes more mainstream in healthcare systems. One large hurdle comes in its application in psychiatry, which encompass more than 40% of patient visits. Read more here.
Balancing Tech and Patient Care in Telehealth: A Case Study with CallOnDoc
Forbes
Founded in 2017, CallOnDoc quickly rose above the competition by offering online behavioral and mental health consultations as well as expanding into remote management of chronic diseases. Forbes spoke with Rahil Saha at CallOnDoc to learn about their internal operations and how they balance convenient technology and providing exceptional care. Read more here.
Women Are Less Likely to Use Video for Telehealth Care
Healthcare IT News
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that older people, women, people of color, and those with lower household incomes are less likely to use video for telehealth visits. These results point out that there is still much work to be done to ensure telehealth is accessible for all patients, regardless of social or economic background. Read more here.
Poll: Most Americans Plan to Use Telehealth After the Pandemic
MedCity News
According to The Harris Poll, nearly 65% of people plan to continue using telehealth after the COVID-19 pandemic ends – additionally, 83% of all respondents had never used telehealth before. The survey also noted differences in how people would want to use telehealth; most want to use telehealth to ask medical questions, review lab results and get prescription refills. Read more here.
For more information on the latest trends in telehealth, check out our resources and blog.