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Alison Talleri
\nDirector of Marketing, Azalea Health
\natalleri@azaleahealth.com<\/p>\n
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The verdict is in; the fight to gain\u2014and retain\u2014patients has never been more fierce, and while none of us would devalue \u201cface time\u201d with our healthcare providers, there is certainly something to be said for FaceTime<\/em> with our providers. It\u2019s not a unique discovery, really. Smart brands and businesses have already long understood the value of engaging with consumers where they most want to receive that interaction\u2014through the web, over the phone\u2014at their fingertips.<\/p>\n That notion holds true for healthcare, too. Take telehealth, for example. As legislative hurdles are cleared and the relative infancy of the overall movement matures (let\u2019s not forget that EHRs were the next big thing at one point, too), more and more providers are making telehealth an important piece of their overall business plan.<\/p>\n At its core, telehealth offers the freedom to find, meaningfully engage and retain loyal patients without being chained to their willingness to make the drive to your office.<\/em><\/p>\n As healthcare continues to move away from a paper-based landscape, it\u2019s increasingly obvious that the benefits to considering telehealth are many. There\u2019s the more clear upside of increased retention through expanded access\u2014offering current patients the benefit of a more convenient way to stay connected and engaged in their wellness. Time and money are saved, missed and no-show appointments are curbed. The barriers of access to travel or the ability to plan around work or family schedules, or having to transport a sick or aging patient are removed, making telehealth an excellent option in both suburban and rural care settings.<\/p>\n Engagement levels have a new opportunity to flourish. Recent studies found that nearly 70 percent of patients reported that they were comfortable communicating with their providers via text, email or video in lieu of a face-to-face visit.1 <\/sup>American Well\u2019s Telehealth Index: 2017 Consumer Survey found that 60 percent of consumers who are willing to have an online telehealth visit use the service to help manage a chronic condition, a clear sign of willingness to not only utilize the service, but to do so actively.2<\/sup><\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the potential for telehealth to reach beyond a practice or hospital\u2019s current base to become a marketing tool; the same American Well survey found that nearly 50 million consumers would switch healthcare providers to one that offers telehealth, up from just 17 million in 2015. Among those, parents with children under the age of 18 and patients 35 to 44 years old reported the highest likelihood to switch.3<\/sup> Promoting a practice\u2019s use of telehealth is an attractive message to patients who seek to balance both flexibility and familiarity with their healthcare provider.<\/p>\n There are certainly challenges to implementing a telehealth strategy. Workflow adjustments, reimbursement and regulatory nuances, promoting awareness and adoption in the early stages with patients, to name a few. But the simple math says that patients want to see providers who offer telehealth capabilities. Happy patients make the most loyal patients, and the most likely to refer others as well.<\/p>\n The time for healthcare providers to take their practices straight to their patients is here. The opportunity to rethink the definition and value of face time in healthcare is now.<\/p>\n End Notes:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n