Virtual care — while not new prior to the pandemic — significantly increased in popularity as providers turned to safe alternatives for delivering health care amidst COVID-19. Virtual care is a broad term that encompasses many ways that health care providers and patients interact real-time through digital tools such as remote patient monitoring and hospital at home. Examples include care delivered via video, audio, remote monitoring, instant messaging, and more.
Not only are many virtual care solutions here to stay as a result of the pandemic, but they are an expectation, and they are transforming health care delivery in positive and meaningful ways.
Virtual care increases accessibility
Virtual care is more convenient for many people, but it also helps people who can’t easily access care. Many virtual care solutions are 24/7 and enable providers to better serve people who live in rural areas, who can’t drive or access transportation, or who have mobility issues. In an inpatient setting like a hospital, virtual care enables physicians and specialists to provide care even if they aren’t physically located in the hospital. This means that a patient might avoid the disruptive experience of transferring to another hospital to receive specialized care.
Virtual care supports better clinical outcomes
With virtual care, people can be connected to the appropriate clinician immediately, and these timely interventions can significantly improve clinical outcomes. Virtual care solutions enable physicians to have more consistent and frequent access to their patients, which can mitigate potential issues before they get worse. As an example, read how a senior living center used Conduit’s virtual care services during COVID-19 to monitor patients more closely.
Virtual care can save money
Virtual care solutions help providers and patients proactively manage care and these timely medical interventions can help patients avoid costly and disruptive trips to the emergency department.
Contact us today
At Conduit Health Partners, we innovate with existing electronic health records systems to create custom virtual care and telehealth solutions that align with market trends to help you meet the specific needs of your organization, including:
- Readmission mitigation
- Telehealth enablement
