By Mick Connors, M.D., Founder and CEO
We’ve all read the research and seen the headlines. Today’s patients want – and increasingly expect – more than those of decades past. Today’s patients want their healthcare the same way they want their retail, entertainment, and banking experiences: Accessible 24/7, from the convenience of home, from the device of their choice, and using technology created with the consumer in mind. In short, modern patients want to access care when, where, and how they need it. Specifically, research tells us:
- Convenience is king. According to NRC Health’s 2019 Healthcare Consumer Trends Report, 51% of consumers say convenience and access to care are the most important factors in their healthcare decision-making.
- Patients want technology (and the right technology). According to a recent Black Book survey, 93% percent of patients expect to use digital tools that facilitate patient-provider interactions; 85% say the same about virtual care access.
- For many providers, mobile is a must. According to a recent Harris Poll, 59% of insured patients and 70% of millennials say they would choose a primary care provider who offered a mobile app over one who did not. (And Millennials equal “mom and dad” in many of our pediatric practices.)
- Virtual care is a welcome alternative to in-office visits and after-hours phone nurses. According to The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, 57% of patients are willing to try virtual care. Seventy-seven percent of those who have tried telehealth visits report a high level of satisfaction.
Clearly, patients know what they want. But what’s in it for providers? How can technology, specifically a virtual care solution, help pediatricians like us? And our nurses on the front lines? And our front office and scheduling staff who support patient relations and satisfaction? A telehealth tool that connects your patients with you (or another physician partner you trust) brings with it a variety of benefits. For example:
- Virtual care supports patient satisfaction. Offering this convenient, easy-to-access care option (that also helps keep patients out of waiting rooms and costly EDs) can translate to a better patient experience.
- Virtual care supports patient engagement. Use of telehealth can help improve medication adherence, health outcomes tracking, and patient accountability.
- Virtual care can help prevent patient leakage. 46% of patients who use telehealth would otherwise go to urgent care; 5.6% would go to the ER. (Red Quill Consulting)
Virtual care allows you to be the most convenient option for your patients and the best option for their care.
And this is just the beginning… Want to learn more? Let’s connect.
