It has become almost cliché by now to note how COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation in healthcare. I have noticed the return of in-person outpatient visits and reimbursement pull back from some insurers. It seems that the pendulum has swung back in recent months. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have continued to make additions to telehealth services, aiming at the expansion to more areas in order to meet needs in this difficult time. As the administrator of CMS stated, “The genie is out of the bottle on this one” and there’s no going back on telehealth.
Well before the pandemic moved most of the healthcare online, many providers were already experiencing excess screen time and information overload leading to digital fatigue and stress. In surveys fielded over the past few years, a third or more of physicians regularly report symptoms of burnout, and more than half say such symptoms have increased since the onset of the current public health crisis. Although provider comfort and ease with telehealth have increased over the span of the pandemic, many remain wary of virtual care and its the potential for adding to already weighty technological and administrative burdens. Therefore, we must tread carefully to avoid challenges along the way, ensuring providers are not only on-board with digital transformation, but that they also see their experience of care enhanced in the process. Doing so involves several key considerations and requirements.
1. Change Leadership Management
Telehealth adoption will require a comparable level of engagement and will be more likely to succeed if it is “pulled” into organizations and workflows by providers rather than “pushed” on them by leadership.
Providers also need ongoing support and digital immersion training not only to seamlessly integrate new tools and modalities into their practice but also to recognize and mitigate digital fatigue and burnout in the process.
2. Greater Collaboration across Geographies
Platforms should unlock the potential for greater collaboration with specialists across geographies. For example, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center’s telemedicine platform allows providers in rural regional hospitals to conduct virtual consults with specialists such as neurologists available only at the main medical center without the need to transfer critically injured patients. This is not only better for patients but also, such capability helps relieve stress upon the referring provider by providing a sense of control and connection to a broader team.
3. Human-Centered Platform
As the flow of data from virtual visits, remote monitoring devices, and wearables increases, we must be sure providers don’t shoulder the cognitive burden of swiveling ever more screens and data feeds to manage patient care. For example, data must be brought together on a unified platform, wherein providers and staff have a “single pane” view of the patient's journey.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and voice technologies play crucial roles in reducing the burden of documentation by quickly filtering and surfacing the most useful and relevant data for understanding the patient story, thereby delivering the right care.
4. Team-Based Care to Value-Based Care
Care coordination is as important to the provider experience as it is to care quality and outcomes. Virtual care platforms tend to be purpose-built for team-based care, reducing the burden on the provider by making it easier to distribute and coordinate care among nurses, care managers, and other clinical staff.
5. Chronic Disease Digital Management
While most of the recent growth in telehealth has revolved around virtual visits, its potential lies in connecting longitudinal data across the entire consumer journey — from wearables and remote monitoring devices and self-care apps to the EHR as the record of care. When a provider does need to see their patient, (virtually or in-person), they now have access to a wealth of longitudinal information, - from biometric data to blood pressure readings and diet regime, - illustrating a richer picture of what transpired since the last visit in order to inform and personalize ongoing care.
The COVID-19 Pandemic accelerated the need for change and proved the benefits of digital transformation: greater access and convenience, in addition to more control and empowerment through care. Providers need to learn lessons from the past, be open-minded to change, and work together to build a better healthcare ecosystem.
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