Will virtual primary care become a new model of healthcare delivery?
The pandemic drove many patients to their primary care docs via video. And it worked.
A telehealth expert (Dr. Peter Antall) explains how this shift could become a permanent hybrid with in-person care in an Interview with healthcareITNews
Here is a summary from the interview.
What is Virtual Primary Care
Virtual primary care is allowing patients to see their primary care physician in person or virtually, depending on their needs.
It combines the convenience of telehealth with the ability to strengthen recurring relationships with primary care physicians. It also can help provide a medical home for patients who have no primary care physician, either due to lack of access or lack of engagement.
The emergence of virtual primary care stems from the recognition that the traditional primary care model doesn't work well for many patients.
Access to care remains a major issue for many patients, due to geographical constraints and a growing shortage of primary care physicians, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Do Patients Want it?
Patients are receptive. A recent Amwell survey shows consumers want a virtual approach to primary care –
- Most consumers (77%) would prefer to see their existing primary care provider via video.
- 25% of consumers are willing to switch providers to get it.
- 80% saying they would prefer to see the same primary care physician regularly via virtual care.
Can virtual primary care provide a simple, seamless care experience? How are patients supported throughout the care process?
The best virtual primary care programs are well coordinated and enable a seamless care experience with the ability to transition patients between in-person and virtual care settings, and to various specialties or allied care providers as needed.
In this way the care is holistic and the patient journey is clear and simple.
Data sharing is an important part of creating a highly coordinated and seamless care experience. Records from all visits should be available to all providers on the telehealth platform across specialties and should be shared with the primary care physician in brick and mortar if one exists. This interoperability improves care and improves the referral and transition process.
To ensure patients are supported, virtual primary care programs should include care coordination capabilities. For example, secure messaging between patients, healthcare professionals and administrative staff can help patients receive quick answers to their questions and ensure that all of their needs are met in a timely fashion, even after a visit has finished.
Can virtual primary care help with population health?
The flexibility of remote access makes it possible for providers to see patients' living conditions, evaluate social determinants of health, and respond in ways that make a deep impact on patients' lives.
Providers also can leverage virtual primary care to evaluate medication adherence among patients with diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. When breakdowns in medication adherence are discovered, providers and support staff can work to engage patients in following their treatment plan more closely. This avoids complications that can occur when patients deviate from recommended treatment.
Improvements in compliance and ongoing care can be accomplished through use of frequent brief touchpoints, care coordination, nudges and team-based care. Prompts and reminders can be used to reinforce the care plan.
With capabilities such as these, virtual primary care positions providers and health plans not only to improve population health, but also to perform well under value-based models of care.
More and more, it's clear that the future of care depends on hybrid models of care delivery such as this and I believe we've only just begun to scratch the surface of what's possible with virtual primary care and how it contributes to the continued transformation of healthcare.
read the unedited article on the interview at https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/will-virtual-primary-care-become-new-model-healthcare-delivery
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As we learn to live the after effects of the pandemic, even the skeptics have started agreeing that the future of care depends on hybrid models. A healthy mix of physical and tele(read virtual/remote) will be adopted - even by unwilling care providers as the consumers have clearly got a taste for it and liked it. And once we accept the hybrid model opening the doors for a accepted technology driven care process (unlike EHR's in 2010), the doors may widely open up further to allow Algorithmic analysis tools, screeners, diagostics to further add flavor to this mix.