The forced rapid adoption of digital health technology is among the many ways hospitals have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. From the quick pivot to telehealth visits, to virtual check-ins and remote patient monitoring, these capabilities are still necessary in this extended period of social distancing; and as a result, patient care looks drastically different than it did a few months ago. It leaves us to wonder — what is the future of care delivery? And what must health care leaders do to adapt to that future?
Of the many emerging technological innovations, telehealth is likely the most prevalent and will be part of care delivery long term. A Keck Medicine of USC study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that among 470 patients who benefitted from the health system’s rapidly expanded telehealth services at the beginning of the pandemic, 83% would recommend virtual visits to others and 77% would use virtual visits for other types of clinical care. Our physicians also appreciate the efficiency of telehealth, and 89% would continue offering virtual visits after social distancing recommendations are lifted.
Currently, 33% of our care provided outside of the hospital is conducted through virtual visits, echoing a pattern at other hospitals nationwide. Digital health startups also are capturing patients with virtual care services. We anticipate telehealth volumes to remain high in the years to come. For a tertiary and quaternary center like Keck Medical Center that treats people who travel hours in search of specialized care, telehealth will greatly enhance access to care and the patient experience.
For patients with chronic conditions or who may need more complex care, remote monitoring can help fill in the gaps between visits, whether virtual or in person. This practice dovetails with another health care trend to focus care delivery on prevention and comprehensive wellness, even among patients who require complex care. Ultimately, the result is better care, more positive outcomes and increased value for patients. Wearable devices offer providers the opportunity to monitor at-risk or frail patients who may need an intervention or different treatment regimen.
One Keck Medicine study published in the American Journal of Transplantation showed that using Bluetooth-enabled devices for remote, real time monitoring of patients who received a lung transplant decreased readmissions by almost 50% and decreased hospital costs by 48% per patient. Our lung transplant team now monitors all lung transplant patients in this way.
To structure ourselves for the widespread use of digital health, industry leaders must work now to address the regulatory, logistical and security challenges that would hamper growth. We also need to address legislation that will allow for sustainable reimbursement for telehealth services after the state of emergency ends.
We must ensure that the shift to digital health does not leave patients behind. The challenge of meeting patient economic needs must be addressed for successful implementation. Not all patients have equal access to devices and internet services to use virtual visits at home or provide real time health information to their remote care team.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that the world can change dramatically and quickly. It also showed us how health care leaders can rise to the challenge and highlighted the dedication of health care workers to their patients in even the most uncertain circumstances. We still have so much to do before we establish industry-wide standards for digital health. Success is contingent on being innovative and leveraging emerging technologies to provide convenient, high-quality care for patients with new expectations.
Shawn Sheffield, MBA, MHSA, is chief strategy officer for Keck Medicine of USC. For more information on Keck Medicine of USC, please visit the Telehealth site at keckmedicine.org/telecare.
