December 14, 2021

Telehealth solutions are building stronger bonds between patients and providers.

Major healthcare providers and patients alike should be cheered by a new study that shows significant gains in healthcare engagement. Virtual care is improving the patient experience and helping people feel more engaged with their own healthcare, according to a new J.D. Power study. 

The annual Commercial Member Health Plan Study found a 9% rise in the use of telehealth solutions that correlated with a matching gain in member satisfaction over one year. Today, 36% of all commercial plan patients use telehealth solutions like web interactions, mobile apps, or text messages.

Here are three of the top ways telehealth solutions boost engagement and enhance the patient experience.

1-Virtual Care Improves Personalization

Personalization is one of the key areas where patients see the benefits of virtual care. Telehealth solutions provide a new level of personalization many patients have never experienced before.

Healthcare providers can now use telehealth solutions to stay more closely connected with their patients and build richer patient histories, providing ongoing insights into the best possible treatment options. Patient-provider contact frequency is on the rise due in part to the increased use of telehealth solutions.

As an example, consider a patient who’s at a high risk of hospital readmissions and/or emergency room visits, like a cardiac patient. In the past, they might have delayed seeking adequate healthcare until the moment a crisis occurred, causing an urgent visit to an emergency room.

A telehealth solution helps this vulnerable person stay connected with their doctor and reduces reliance on ER visits as a healthcare solution. Instead of ignoring their symptoms until the point of crisis, they can use a mobile app to interact with their doctor proactively and monitor their heart health.

2- Telehealth Leads to Better Health Outcomes

Telehealth solutions also build increased interactivity between patients and providers, which has the downstream impact of improving health outcomes. When patients feel more comfortable interacting with their doctors, they’re more likely to share crucial health information and take positive steps to support their health.

For example, AMC Health has seen improved patient outcomes for pulmonary patients using telehealth solutions. In addition, when people with congestive heart failure and COPD used Bluetooth monitoring devices, their doctors received better biometric data for decision-making. 

This use of technology led to better provider-patient relationships and fewer health status exacerbations. Pulmonary risks were detected earlier, and many patients preferred addressing their health concerns from the comfort of their own homes.

Another example is found in a recent McKinsey study of lower back pain management. The researchers found that previously, many participants had pursued back surgery without first investigating other first-line and second-line treatments. 

However, telehealth solutions provide “critical enablers” that allow early intervention and better evaluation of various healthcare options. Data is gathered early in the patient experience, and doctor-patient interactions foster discussions about a variety of healthcare options other than last-resorts like expensive and time-consuming surgery.

3- Telehealth Solutions Boost Patient Satisfaction

Telehealth is leading the charge in increased patient healthcare satisfaction. This is borne out in better scores on many commonly-used scales of measurement in the healthcare industry like HEDIS scores, which are used by approximately 90% of U.S. health plans. In response, the Board of Directors of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has updated the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set to be more inclusive of telehealth.

Numerous recent studies show increased patient satisfaction with virtual care. Below are several examples.

  • A study from the National Institutes of Health conducted a systematic review of 2,193 articles related to telehealth and patient satisfaction. The review found that a total of 61% reported improvements in factors like patient outcomes, telehealth as a preferred modality, ease of use, low cost, improved communication, and decreased travel time.
  • The Journal of Medical Internet Research found that during a period with an 8,729% increase in the use of video visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was significantly higher patient satisfaction with video visits than in-person visits.
  • A study by Telemedicine and e-Health focused on rural and underserved populations along the U.S.-Mexico border found widespread patient satisfaction from telehealth. Overall, 87% felt satisfied with their telehealth services, and 88% said the quality of care was as good as or better than in-person care.

Boost Engagement with Telehealth Solutions

Telehealth solutions offer a huge step forward in patient engagement and satisfaction. These innovative new telehealth tools optimize patient care and provide a richer, more enjoyable healthcare journey than ever before.

AMC Health is at the forefront of this revolution in healthcare engagement. We offer a full suite of virtual care monitoring services that empower people, maximize resource management, and improve patient outcomes. Please schedule a demo to learn more about strengthening member engagement through virtual care telehealth solutions.

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