Since the beginning of the pandemic, healthcare has been continuously changing to adapt to our new world. With more and more patients worried to leave their homes, virtual solutions to all of our typical healthcare activities became increasingly requested and popular in every community.
With more healthcare organizations navigating this newly increased volume in telehealth, we explore how the numbers are affecting the healthcare industry and redefining what it means to seek treatment in a pandemic and post-pandemic world.
See why the increased volume in telehealth is changing the game of healthcare and something every company should be paying attention to.
Telehealth claim lines increased 3,060%
As more people seek treatment through virtual options, telehealth claim lines have become a popular method for healthcare during the pandemic. Telehealth claim lines were used at an increased rate of over 3000% during the pandemic. These claim lines allowed people to connect with their doctors over any concerns that came up without having to take away too much time from their workday or home life. People are able to safely and stay home with their symptoms to avoid spreading any illnesses to others, as well. Most importantly, this allowed more people to seek treatment for mental health issues that one may have otherwise not sought help for. (Source)
Explore the monthly numbers for different regions of the United States here!
Up to $250 billion of current U.S. healthcare spend could be shifted to virtual or near-virtual care
With organizations like Medicare agreeing to reimburse health care providers for telehealth services at the same rate as in-person, this incentivizes service providers to increase the number of services they offer virtually. Shifts like this Medicare initiative show why it is predicted that $250 billion of U.S. healthcare spending could shift to virtual or similar telehealth services. By offering more services to patients through telehealth without losing money on reimbursements, there’s no downside to at this time to transitioning more services in the direction of virtual healthcare. (Source)
While this is a temporary measure, this shows what the future of healthcare could look like with more institutions recognizing its potential and benefits. As patient awareness and communication about telehealth services grow, the dollars spent on telehealth will continue to grow.
Telehealth Patient Volume Skyrocketed 4,000% in Pandemic
This remarkable growth has increased much quicker than could have been predicted, so many doubt the long-term potential of telehealth. However, with the increase of telehealth awareness and investments by companies towards virtual services, this shows that this digital innovation is here to stay. More patients were able to be safely diagnosed, get answers to medical questions, and receive access to providers that they otherwise would not have. With a 4,000% increase in patient volume, it’s clear what healthcare accessibility to patients via telehealth means for our communities. (Source)
Call centers supporting telehealth services have never been more crucial for keeping the experience as normal as possible for patients. This customer experience journey has created a seamless transition for connecting patients with their healthcare needs virtually.
While these numbers continue to change on a daily basis, as we move towards a post-pandemic normal it’s easy to see where telehealth can fit into our world. Telehealth offers services to more communities and allows providers to help more patients, meaning administrative services supporting these healthcare providers have never been more important.
The healthcare industry is certainly shifting and more companies are transitioning their own systems and workflows to adapt to telehealth, even after the pandemic has ended. Do you think telehealth is here to stay or is in-person treatment what works best for our society?
