Virtual Care Trends from 2023 that will Inform 2024
Virtual care trends from 2023 that will inform 2024. Happy New Year all. There has been significant growth in virtual care and telehealth over the last few years. We are now seeing that there is some standardizing and formalizing (which is great!). To that end, what is going to be going on in the next year? Here are some of my thoughts.
Despite all the talk of telehealth not mattering or is 'over', it is the basis of most other digital health programs that are being built - doing a remote visit with tech is broad. And getting those basics has allowed laws/regulations/standards/tech etc to grow with it. Consider that if you want to use a device at home for healthcare - you still need a doctor to check in if something goes wrong - that is a telemedicine visit. So that’s what I mean it’s the basis.
Here are my predictions:
❇️ Hybrid models are growing and will continue to grow. Despite the focus on direct to consumer companies out there, most patients (and clinicians) work locally. Hybrid models are the long term game. We need to access both.
❇️ RPM, and in turn, hospital at home is building. HaH specifically grew in 2023 as it is a step further than RPM. Which is a step further than telemedicine at its basics. We can get information and data from patients at home. AND be able to actually monitor some hospital level care from there. It is incredible really to consider.
❇️ Virtual nursing. I remember when we started discussing this at Panda Health a year ago, my colleagues and I were researching whether there was enough traction to make this its own pillar. Glad we decided there was. VN already has some great companies and it's clear that the basics that telehealth companies have built upon have made VN move faster. Nurses are a huge part of the health ecosystem and their needs should be met.
❇️ Reimbursement and regulatory hurdles are improving. Telehealth has bipartisan support (it actually has since at least 2016) which helps for much of this. Figuring out how to make it viable, get the billing standard, and educate everyone what you can get reimbursed for still remains the challenge.
I'll add that the use of #AI will make #asychronous care more viable and usable. I predict we will see more that this year. Artificial intelligence has become such a huge topic and we will see it grow. (Check out our article on how to do this with empathy here: Article Link)
Let’s see what i’m right about this year. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy everyone!