Did you know that 98% of patients say that they would be interested in telehealth visits, and that 99% of telehealth patients say that they would recommend virtual visits to a friend? That’s a serious success rate, but just why is telehealth so successful? That’s exactly what this blog will discuss. Specifically, how telehealth improves patient engagement by exponentially increasing the access to quick and convenient healthcare visits for your patients.
In the past, a routine doctor visit for a patient has taken as much as an hour - or longer- for an exam that takes no more than 15 - 20 minutes to complete. The additional time is often spent in the waiting room, and that’s before you factor in commute time which can be lengthy for patients who live in remote areas. Telehealth visits eliminate the commute and the time spent in a doctor’s waiting room. This is extremely beneficial to patients who have a busy schedule, for stay-at-home parents who are caring for their children, and especially for children who would otherwise be taken out of school to see their doctor.
Let’s a closer look at just what is telehealth and how it can improve patient engagement within your practice
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is a blanket term that covers all virtual healthcare visits. Typically, there are two main forms of telehealth visits - those that allow patients to be seen virtually in their own home, and those that require a patient be seen in a remote healthcare facility.
For at-home telehealth visits, a patient is able to video chat with their provider from a computer, tablet, or smartphone. This makes their healthcare experience fully accessible, no matter where they are. The only downside to this type of telehealth visit is that internet connection can be a bit shaky which can limit the productivity of a visit slotted for just 10 - 20 minutes. In some cases, phone call televisits can be utilized in the absence of internet access or video capabilities.
The second option for telehealth visits is to have your patients commute to a remote healthcare facility where they will video chat with their provider. These kinds of virtual visits allow you to collect your patient’s vitals via devices that hook up and sync to a computer.
Improved Patient Engagement
By removing the accessibility barriers to quality healthcare, you are increasing both your patient engagement as well as patient satisfaction. What used to be a dreaded trip to the doctor that would chew up a considerable amount of their day, can now be completed without the patient having to leave their home. This convenience factor is changing the narrative of healthcare. What used to be a chore is now seen as an enjoyable experience that encourages patients to better monitor their own daily health. Your patients are more likely to take ownership of their healthcare needs when the burden of commuting to and waiting for in-person doctor visits is removed.
Telehealth visits meet your patients wherever they are in life. Be it a six-year-old getting a virtual checkup before going to school, a mother seeing her obstetrician and collecting her own vitals to be shared with her provider, or a cognitively challenged adult being routinely monitored inside a nursing home.
Let’s Talk Interactive offers the telehealth capabilities to increase your patient engagement. Contact us today to get started.