Accenture
says that most patients are continuing to use telehealth even after they are
allowed to return to their doctors' offices.
BY PAIGE WALTERS PUBLISHED IN HEALTHCARE
BUSINESS JULY 24, 2020 10:00 AM
Opinions toward telehealth are shifting rapidly
in Texas due to the coronavirus pandemic. Up until the outbreak, a lack of
technology and patient awareness and consumer hesitation were infringing upon
the growth in the state’s adoption of remote care options. But according to
Accenture’s study patients are now more aware of and interested in remote care
practices
The study found that one in four Texans
surveyed said they first learned about virtual health care following the
outbreak of COVID-19, and that number of people who said they know some or a
lot about virtual health has bumped up 25 percent since the pandemic. And 89
percent said that virtual care options should be available to everyone.
Around 4.5 million Texans began using virtual
health services since the pandemic began, and 45 percent said they trust
virtual health as much or more than an in person a visit, 15 percent higher
than before the pandemic. Quality of experience and convenience were also rated
high. Six out of seven remote-care patients who have continued to use
virtual care options during the pandemic said their experience after the start
of the COVID-19 outbreak was better or the same as before, and three-quarters
said their wait time was shorter or the same.
“A lot of Texans got a taste for what it’s like
to see their physicians and specialists from the safety and comfort of their
home,” Mark Olney, a managing director in Accenture’s Health practice and the
study’s lead author, said via a press release. “Now patients are eager to get
more of that access, convenience and time savings.”
Since the pandemic, the various uses for remote
care has grown. Over twice as many Texans received virtual care for preventive
measures, yearly checkups, sickness diagnoses, and injury treatments after the
outbreak than they did before the pandemic.
“This rapid transition gave many health
providers a chance to try out new and innovative ways of working and opened
their eyes to the efficiency, effectiveness and possibilities of virtual care
when combined appropriately with in-person interactions,” Stephen Love,
president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital
Council, said via release.
While 46% of patients who received remote care
following the outbreak said convenience contributed to the increase in virtual
care, more than 36% of them said their healthcare provider ordered remote
visits because of COVID-19, and 15% of patients said they did not feel safe
going into doctors’ offices.
“With the rising consumer demand and new,
tech-savvy entrants joining the industry, the excuse that ‘health care is
different from other fields’ no longer works,” Nora Belcher, executive
director, Texas e-Health Alliance, said via release. “Virtual health gives
Texas an opportunity to make health care more accessible and affordable and
ultimately achieve better outcomes.”
The consulting firm’s study makes note of how
Texans who live in rural counties and cannot easily commute to doctors’
offices, in particular, have a lot to benefit from access to virtual care.
“Riding the momentum in virtual care, Texas hospitals have an opportunity to
play a bigger role in caring for rural communities and other underserved
populations,” Olney said via a press release.
In order to take advantage of the opportunity
for Texas hospitals to play a larger role in caring for rural areas and
additional underserved demographics, Accenture’s study suggests hospitals
incorporate remote care into their existing care workflow and give patients an
option of virtual care or in-person care. According to another one of
Accenture’s studies, hospitals and physicians are the health care providers
patients trust most. They should build a network of non-traditional vendors and
community-based organizations to provide care and grow their impact via
telehealth.
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