How Virtual Care Increases Patient Engagement and Satisfaction

Virtual care implementation is trending upward. Patients report enjoying their virtual care experiences and clinicians are quickly warming up the idea that virtual visits can help improve their workflows. So, what's driving this trend toward virtual care, and how can in benefit health systems?

To find out, Inside Digital Health™ spoke with several virtual care experts at HIMSS 2019. Many pointed to recent studies touting its effectiveness as key drivers behind increased adoption. But every expert we spoke with, including leaders at Teladoc and Tyto Care, said virtual care is bastioned by streamlined patient experiences, non-inferior outcomes, and reduced expenditures.

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Ophir Lotan, vice president of product and implementation at Tyto Care, knows that the industry is growing because of how satisfied patients report feeling following virtual care interactions with their physicians. While Lotan believes there is plenty of ground to cover before the virtual care adoption gap is overcome, use and implementation are trending in the right direction, which is a win for the industry, its providers, and patients.

For Dan Trencher, senior vice president of product and strategy at Teladoc, a telemedicine company that uses phone and video conferencing technology to provide on-demand care, virtual care offers a convenient way for patients to communicate with their physicians. Patients are able to use their mobile device or computer to virtually speak with a licensed physician — whether it be for a follow-up, check-in, or to ask a question about a rash — from the comfort of their home and anywhere else their device can access WiFi or cell service.

Virtual care solutions are often cost-effective, as patients don’t have to pay for their commute to the clinic and health systems can avoid portions of their costly overhead expenditures. Trencher said that as more providers become familiarized with virtual care solutions and learn that it can bring dramatic improvements to their workflows, patients feel more comfortable using the technology too.

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