Striking the Perfect Balance Between Telehealth & In-Person Care

It seems like just yesterday many health systems didn’t consider implementing telehealth solutions to enable virtual patient visits as part of their overall care delivery strategy. There were many reasons for that—health systems weren’t bought-in on the ROI, they were concerned about clinician adoption and clinical efficacy, and they were unaware of whether patients would be interested in engaging with providers virtually. In 2020, there was a seismic shift across payers, providers, and patients alike due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forever changing the telehealth landscape and opening new doors for the future.

By deploying telehealth and hospital at home programs with patients, providers used audio and visual technologies to support care delivery strategies and address critical issues facing their organization—such as increasing hospital bed capacity and diverting non-critical patients from the emergency department. The future of telehealth in 2021 (and beyond) is filled with opportunity—and for payers and providers who lean in on the future of telehealth, the possibilities are endless. In a cross-functional discussion centered around what is next in the telehealth industry, leaders in remote patient monitoring (RPM) and telehealth discussed the following takeaways in HLTH's webinar.

Takeaways:

• Specific examples and strategies for success with remote patient monitoring and telehealth
• Understanding reimbursement changes that went into effect in 2020 and what remains with the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule released by CMS
• What the “new normal” looks like as the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out—and tactics for payers and providers
• How telehealth will expand into a myriad of patient populations previously untapped for such virtual care delivery options