As the world continues to move beyond the height of the COVID-19 crisis, virtual care remains an essential tool for healthcare providers. However, the telehealth landscape is still shifting, presenting providers with ongoing challenges and fresh opportunities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the use of telehealth increased from 15.4% in 2019 to 86.5% in 2021, highlighting just how much the service was used during the pandemic.
As the world continues to move beyond the height of the COVID-19 crisis, virtual care remains an essential tool for healthcare providers. However, the telehealth landscape is still shifting, presenting providers with ongoing challenges and fresh opportunities. Below, we’ll discuss the major ways in which telehealth has transformed the healthcare industry, the challenges it’s created, and how providers can move past them with the right tools.
3 Ways the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Virtual Care
When traditional in-person healthcare became risky and impractical during COVID-19, telehealth evolved from a niche service to a mainstream method of delivering care. For many, it wasn’t just a stopgap solution, but a revelation—offering patients more convenience and flexibility while ushering in a new level of patient-centered care. Some of these transformations include:
- Increased accessibility and convenience: During the pandemic, virtual care surged as it was the most accessible option for receiving healthcare. For many patients, telehealth meant quicker, easier access to healthcare without leaving their homes. The surge especially benefited individuals with chronic conditions, mobility issues, or those living in remote areas. It allowed these individuals to manage their health more efficiently, 24/7, from anywhere.
- Greater flexibility in health management options: The rise of virtual care also offered patients more choices in how they manage their health. For example, patients can choose from virtual consultations or remote monitoring when managing their healthcare. That flexibility also empowered patients to take control of their health journey, ensuring they could prioritize their well-being without delays. Plus, the ability to combine virtual and physical visits means patients could now choose the format that suited their medical needs, creating a more personalized approach to care.
- A shift to patient comfort and digital integration: Finally, the pandemic accelerated a digital-first approach to healthcare, meeting the expectations of patients who were accustomed to an on-demand, seamless digital experience. Plus, telehealth allows patients to engage in healthcare from familiar environments—whether at home or at work—and reshaped the healthcare journey into one that’s more aligned with modern lifestyles.
The Top Challenges Facing Virtual Care
Even though the challenges around COVID-19 have changed, the transformations telehealth experienced during the pandemic created a number of hurdles. Below, we’ll look at five challenges in the telehealth industry.
Medicare Coverage Rollbacks
One of the biggest challenges in telehealth today is the expiration of telehealth exceptions for Medicare coverage. During the pandemic, many patients — particularly the elderly — benefited from the extended coverage that allowed them to receive virtual care. Now, with the return to pre-pandemic regulations, these patients are being forced to return to in-person visits. For those who lack mobility, live in rural areas, or simply prefer virtual visits, this is a significant drawback to healthcare accessibility.
Digital Literacy and Tech Barriers
For all its advantages, telehealth is not universally accessible. For example, most older patients or those from lower-income backgrounds struggle with digital literacy or lack the technology needed for virtual care. The National Institutes of Health found that 75% of rural and low-income adults were willing to use telehealth services if they were more accessible. Without access to reliable internet or devices or the skills to navigate them, patients may find telehealth more of a barrier than a benefit.
Provider Resistance and Workflow Integration
Even with the clear benefits of virtual care, not all healthcare providers are totally on board with telehealth. Some providers are hesitant due to concerns over adapting workflows or maintaining quality care, while others are concerned about managing healthcare alongside in-person visits. Additionally, telehealth often requires integrating new technologies and platforms into existing healthcare systems, which can be costly and disruptive.
Fragmented State and Federal Regulations
Telehealth regulations are still inconsistent across states and at the federal level, making it difficult for providers to create standardized virtual care models. For example, licensing requirements vary from location to location, meaning healthcare providers might be limited in offering care across state lines. Without cohesive regulations, long-term growth, expansion, and adoption of telehealth could be limited.
4 Opportunities for Healthcare Providers in Today’s Landscape
Despite the challenges facing telehealth after COVID-19, telehealth has many opportunities to evolve and become a permanent part of our healthcare system. These include:
- Cost savings for providers and patients: Telehealth can reduce costs for providers and patients. For healthcare providers, telehealth limits the need for extensive office space and reduces overhead costs tied to in-person visits. For patients, the ability to avoid travel, wait times, and time off from work makes healthcare more affordable. One study found that telehealth saved patients an average of $147 and $186 per visit.
- Integrating with emerging technologies: Telehealth’s future will also be shaped by its integration with other technologies. For example, wearable health devices and AI-powered diagnostics will be able to work alongside virtual care platforms to provide a more comprehensive healthcare experience.
- Convenience meets innovation: The ease, flexibility, and convenience of telehealth platforms are only going to improve as innovations and technologies arise. AI-driven virtual assistants, for example, could help triage patient inquiries, directing them to the right care or answering routine questions without human intervention.
- Patient-centered healthcare for a new era: At its core, telehealth provides the opportunity for providers to meet patients where they are — literally and figuratively. The next generation of telehealth could be centered on a more personalized approach, with providers tailoring care to fit an individual’s lifestyle and preferences.
Moving Forward With Telehealth Innovation
Telehealth’s post-pandemic future is full of potential, but providers must address challenges. For telehealth to succeed, healthcare providers need to stay flexible and open to integrating new technologies that further enhance their virtual care offerings. That’s where RXNT comes in.
Our telehealth-friendly software is designed to seamlessly integrate with your practice’s existing workflows. RXNT allows you to integrate your desired video platform, document virtual patient visits side-by-side with your telemedicine solutions, and seamlessly bill for your services. Plus, with our electronic health record (EHR) system, scheduling and billing tools, and user-friendly patient portal, RXNT makes offering convenient, patient-centered care easy.
Want to see how RXNT can help improve not just your telehealth offerings but your entire practice? Schedule a demo today.
