Why Telehealth is the Key to Effective Value-Based Care

The adoption of telehealth grew rapidly out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The convenience, proven quality, and increased access to healthcare this model provides, as well as the shift toward value-based care, necessitates that telehealth be part of every health system’s delivery model.

Telehealth is much more than a lower-cost, highly productive care option. Telehealth enables residents of rural areas access to quality healthcare without having to dive long distances, take off work, arrange childcare, etc. It also enables options of care for people in urban areas who may be immunocompromised, elderly, lack reliable transportation, or have other issues that make an in-person appointment challenging.

Updating a 100-Year-Old Model of Healthcare

Traditionally, healthcare organizations were reimbursed via a fee-for-service payment model, which is based on quantity not quality of care provided. An article in Forbes notes that this system dates back more than 100 years to a time when patient problems were more acute in nature, such as needing surgeries or inexpensive medications.

The chronic diseases of today require continual monitoring and care, which under the fee-for-service model can be expensive for patients while not producing quality outcomes.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, value-based care is a proactive concept to keep healthcare costs down, produce better healthcare outcomes and most importantly, improve a patient’s overall health and wellbeing.

An example of value-based care in action, aided by telehealth, is caring for a patient with diabetes. Instead of requiring that patient to frequently go to different institutions to get care, e.g., seeing their primary doctor, an endocrinologist, and allied health professionals, such as a nutritionist, much could be done easily via telehealth check-ins.

Once a wellness plan is in place, telehealth appointments can continually help individuals on the care team monitor blood sugar, ensure a healthy diet and exercise program are being followed, medications are being taken, and the emotional and psychological aspects of the disease are being monitored and discussed.

Improving Outcomes by Meeting Patients Where They Are

A 2021 Intelligence Report from HealthLeaders shows that executives are prioritizing building telehealth platforms as a first step to enhance other value-based competencies, including care coordination, clinical integration, patient engagement, and access.

With Synzi, healthcare organizations can leverage telehealth and virtual care management platforms to remove the physical barriers between patients and their care providers, resulting in greater access to care, increasing touchpoints, and improving patient satisfaction and outcomes while reducing rehospitalizations – all key components of value-based care.

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