4 Essential Strategies for All Telehealth Leaders
4 essential strategies to help ensure high quality, efficient and cost-effective care for patients via telehealth.
Summary
Telehealth has adopted a permanent step in the ongoing transformation of health care.
To maximize the value of these solutions, health care organizations must get key plans and value propositions right before full-scale adoption.
The primary drivers of this change will require telehealth leaders to institute these essential strategies in order to be successful in the emerging national market for telehealth services.
Background
Virtual health technology is no longer optional. In order to be successful, telehealth leaders must invest not only in technology but also in people and cultural changes. Telehealth leaders need to address these 4 essential strategies in a balanced approach to maximize their virtual care programs.
Review
STRATEGY ONE: Defining what the virtual care model looks like
Health care leaders need to go beyond the prevailing hype and prioritize what patients value most.
In the future, telehealth will use synchronous, asynchronous or a hybrid blended approach.
Coupling the best approach with the needs of different populations will be necessary. One size may not fit all.
o The Gen Z population (born between the mid-1990’s through the early 2010’s) easily envision telehealth as their primary care delivery mode. This has large adoption considerations.
o For older patients, telehealth leaders may need to address technological resistance.
o Broadband availability in geographic areas may also impact technology considerations.
STRATEGY TWO: Changes in culture and mindset
Patients are expecting a different experience from virtual versus in person health visits.
This differing definition of what constitutes a “high quality” visit, requires a new balance in order to meet shifting patient needs and preferences.
A telehealth strategy should address which cases and clinical circumstances should be in person and which can be virtual.
What combination of virtual and in person visits will be most cost effective to providers?
STRETEGY THREE: Collective, not disjointed integration of the patient experience
Telehealth leaders need to introduce innovation which is implemented collaboratively in order to make the delivery of digital health a success.
An ongoing collaborative team focus on telehealth integration is needed for the long term.
The telehealth program must align with cross-system stakeholders as opposed to the current silo approach.
Telehealth leaders will be required to develop and implement a comprehensive multi-stakeholder action plan.
STRATEGY FOUR: The telehealth strategy must align with the quadruple aim
All components of the quadruple aim must be addressed to drive improved patient care to impact enhancing overall population health.
Telehealth leaders must create unique virtual offerings, not merely technological capabilities and innovations.
Specific indicators of monitoring and measuring telehealth performance must be included.
o The degree of adoption including uptake and amount of use cannot be the only indicator of success.
Conclusions
Telehealth leaders must remain focused on patients’ needs and values rather than technological capabilities.
As health care transitions from “brick to click”, leaders should drive to humanize the digital experience by understanding the specific drivers of telehealth.
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