"As any technological implementation requires an adaptation of the internal user (physician) and patient, the role of the internal heavy user is key to the success of the technology. Telemedicine is no exception to this rule and requires not only to choose the right platform but also to implement it properly". Marcos Passarini - CEO SkyTel
Telemedicine has helped expand access to healthcare even as the pandemic restricts all types of doctor visits.
Actions taken today by healthcare industry leaders will determine the success of telemedicine once the pandemic crisis is over.
The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the change in the health care model globally.
This overload of care due to Covid-19 has forced a telephone follow-up of mild coronavirus patients and has encouraged hundreds of thousands of patients to use telemedicine to consult other pathologies, thus avoiding the need to visit medical centers in person. "Covid-19 is going to drive the advance of telemedicine. We have made a five-year leap in weeks," explains Rafael García, CEO of the Spanish telemedicine company Ever Health.
Telemedicine has also helped many doctors to realize that technology can be a great help in their daily activity and that telemedicine has great potential to help them in their dramatic situation.
The use of technologies applicable to telemedicine will play a key role in supporting care models for chronic patients, cardiovascular, respiratory or mental health pathologies, which are some of the areas in which telemedicine will have the greatest impact, diseases with a high social and health impact.
The field of telemedicine is moving directly towards solutions that combine physical wearable devices and applications or programs that collect data. In this way, the patient's day-to-day life could be monitored and a possible risk could be predicted when some of the levels being monitored are altered.
Five models we identified as potential transformations in virtual healthcare:
1. On-demand virtual agent as an alternative to urgent consultations: it allows to avoid saturation of hospital and health center emergency rooms. Nowadays, this type of consultations are the most common. In the cases of prepaid telemedicine, it allows patients to consult with anonymous but immediate providers about doubts or emergencies such as acute sinusitis, for example. This avoids the need to go to the emergency room.
2. Virtual office for patients who do not require a physical exam or regular attendance: minor care visits (colds, check-ups for minor chronic diseases), mental health or therapy (virtual sessions with psychologists or psychotherapists). One omnichannel consultation channel that is easy to incorporate is one that includes a mix between telemedicine and in-person consultations. This improves access, convenience and continuity of care for patients. On the other hand, with the remote support of monitoring, check-ups for patients with mild chronic conditions, therapies and digital sessions, physicians can better organize and manage their time with patients.
3. The virtual clinic amplifies the opportunity for patients to access care by combining virtual consultations with clinics that are close to their homes for testing or screening. For example, a virtual consultation for a patient with cold or COVID-19 symptoms could be accompanied by a short trip to the nearest center for a test, and subsequent follow-up with a physician to follow up and monitor the patient's symptoms.
4. Home telemedicine allows for quick medical consultations, remote monitoring and provides patients with tools to engage. Evaluations, educational programs for patients and caregivers, psychological therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapies.
Direct services, such as wound closures or healing, will continue to occur in offices, but telemedicine aims to expand the experience of both patients and physicians, and extend the number of caregivers and caregiving capacity to improve the connectivity of healthcare services. For example, a physical therapist could conduct a virtual session for seniors in their homes to improve strength, balance and flexibility, and advise them on how to avoid home accidents and prevent the risk of falling.
5. Medication in times of telemedicine: The patient moves from receiving infusions and injectable drugs in the clinic to their homes. This change will occur gradually with constant monitoring by physicians to help patients understand and learn how to train and administer medication. In addition, telemedicine services can be provided to a staff. For example, a nurse can be in charge of chemotherapy for a patient at home, and live and in real time, the patient's primary care physician can be controlling and monitoring the patient's symptoms.
What actions should companies in the industry take to take advantage of this opportunity?
Actions that could begin to be considered within hospitals/health centers:
Define a virtual health plan: With real and updated data to be able to prioritize specific patient groups and develop strategies to complete 100% digital processes (from consultations to treatments).
2. Optimize the contacts and providers we need for our telemedicine. Define who will collaborate with the process and the scope of each provider. Align all virtual processes to the patients' needs, and even generate different plans that fit them.
3. Build e-Health as a new product, adapted to consumer changes and the demand for low-cost plans. This new design should include features that facilitate its use and the capacity to offer innovative solutions (e.g. e-triage).
4. Strengthen the technology and analysis of the tools that will be required for the full potential of our telemedicine service. Actions that the health system should consider:
Actions that the health system should consider:
1. Accelerate the development of a 100% consumer-integrated front door. In addition, add the developments implemented in response to COVID-19 (e.g., e-triage, turnkeys, clinic visits, access to medical records).
Segment patient groups (e.g., chronically ill patients) and the specialties with which they interact, so that home diagnostics and equipment needed for these remote interactions can be determined.
Generate incentives and training for suppliers that support virtual platforms (e.g., workflow design, centralized scheduling, and ongoing education and training).
4. Measure the value of virtual care by quantifying clinical outcomes, access improvements, and patient and provider satisfaction to adjust and expand service coverage. Include an analysis of the value of providing virtual medicine to patients with risk models such as chronic patients.
5. Consider strategies that go beyond telemedicine or medical visits. For example, think about how to enter the market and other populations and how to adapt and innovate with other applications (TeleICU, care for the rehabilitated post-internment). Actions that investors, healthcare services and technology firms should consider:
Stocks that investors, healthcare services and technology firms should consider:
1. Develop scenarios of how and when virtual health will evolve, including how it performed during COVID-19, based on consumer expectations, CMS and other regulations.
2. Assess the impact of telemedicine as a solution and as a service, developing a vision of opportunity for each type. Include expectations of both consumers and providers, impacts (e.g., experiences, cost-effectiveness and outcomes) and paybacks.
3. Develop potential options and define investment strategies based on the future expectations of telemedicine (e.g., the combination of existing platforms and players, the link between offering personal and virtual consultations) and create sustainable value.
4. Identify assets and capabilities to implement for these developments, including specific assets that will allow us to optimize our business model for attractive profitability.
5. Execute, execute and execute. The next "normal" in healthcare is going to scale quickly, and those who can anticipate this impact are the ones who will create differential value. The potential of the networking effect should not be underestimated.
The window to act is now.
The current crisis has demonstrated the relevance of telemedicine and has created a system open to change and modernization in the healthcare system. This modernization is expected to grow from $3 billion in market value to potentially $250 billion.
The foundations for success will be seen in the coming months post Covid-19. The health systems that will excel are those that act decisively, that invest in building capacity at large scales, that work hard to optimize the virtual health model they offer, and that deliver distinctive service, with the highest quality to their consumers and patients.
Source: MCKINSEY
