SOLVING THE COST OF CARE DILEMMA
H ealthcare costs will rise by an average of 5.5% per year over the next decade, growing from $3.5 trillion in 2017 to $6 trillion by 2027. Undoubtedly, cost of care containment strategies continue to dominate conversations across the industry. Whether healthcare professionals are planning for an international health outbreak, implementing large-scale care management programs, or simply directing consumers from the ER to office visits, healthcare entities have tried numerous methods to reduce, or at a minimum, maintain healthcare costs.
Virtual RHR Panel Session
COVID’S Silver Lining
Virtual Visit Benefits
By this point, we are well aware of the negative aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are some positives also. Thankfully, the healthcare industry can point to a few silver linings: COVID is rapidly accelerating healthcare’s pace of change across the collective industry and independently for organizations. Learning to maintain this pace and sustain change in the future will be critical. Virtual visits are here to stay. State and federal policy changes loosened restrictions that previously held back growth in telehealth, plus providers and consumers were both motivated to adopt. There is a renewed focus on basic public health measures, like washing hands and staying home when sick. Focusing on these simple actions will improve the overall cost of care in the future. More consumers are educating themselves on healthcare, which has a direct impact on cost of care. For example, patients question where surgery will occur, whether at a surgery center or in a hospital. This interest pushes physicians to be more efficient and opens a transparent dialogue with patients to potentially select a lower cost of care facility.
Virtual visits aren’t a new concept, but COVID has distinctly accelerated their adoption and appeal.
/
Telehealth adoption is taking place across the spectrum of demographics, including a high proportion of the senior population. Virtual visits work particularly well for post-op care where no imaging is needed and physical therapy. Therapists know their patients well and can predict who will follow-through and who needs an in-person visit to ensure the right outcomes. There is an increase in virtual visits for recurring and new behavioral health patients, which is a positive indicator of people being acutely aware of their health needs throughout the pandemic.
/
/
/
/
/
Relevant Health Roundtable | 35
Powered by FlippingBook