The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise of telehealth and the adoption of virtual care technologies. But, what is the future of health care delivery?

Is Telehealth Still Growing?

Although telehealth before and after COVID doesn’t look quite the same, that doesn’t mean it has not continued growing. Virtual-first care has been thoroughly tested and has proven that telehealth is here to stay.The past several years have highlighted the benefits of virtual health, including increased access to care, reduced costs, and improved patient outcomes. 

What is Virtual First care?

Virtual-first healthcare, also known as telemedicine, is the practice of providing healthcare services remotely using technology such as video conferencing, messaging, and mobile applications. The growth of virtual-first care has been fueled by a number of factors, including advances in technology, increased patient demand for convenience and accessibility, and the need to address healthcare disparities in underserved populations. Many people still wonder, however, is telehealth here to stay?

Will Telehealth be Extended After COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a significant role in accelerating the adoption of virtual-first care. With social distancing measures in place, many patients have turned to telemedicine as a safe and convenient way to receive healthcare services. This has led to a surge in demand for virtual-first care. Many clients and providers wonder: “Will telehealth be extended?” Telehealth after COVID is still growing – with healthcare providers and insurers rapidly expanding their telemedicine offerings.

What are the Types of Services Virtual Care Offers?

Virtual care includes a range of technologies and approaches, such as telemedicine, remote monitoring, and digital health platforms, that enable healthcare providers to deliver care remotely. These technologies have become increasingly popular during the pandemic as healthcare providers have sought to minimize in-person interactions and reduce the risk of transmission.

Individual practices, wellness clinics, as well as behavioral health clinics rely on telemedicine to meet with their clients. Some telehealth platforms even offer scheduling and EMR services to aid in backend operations. 

What are the Benefits of Virtual Health?

Patients have become comfortable with virtual care and many have found it to be a convenient and effective way to receive healthcare services. Healthcare providers have also seen the benefits of virtual care, including increased efficiency and expanded reach.

Moreover, virtual care can help to address some of the challenges facing the healthcare system, such as the shortage of healthcare professionals and the uneven distribution of healthcare resources. By enabling providers to reach more patients, virtual-first healthcare can help to increase access to care and reduce healthcare disparities.

Virtual-first care has the potential to improve health outcomes by enabling patients to easily track their health data and receive personalized care plans. It can also help to reduce healthcare costs by reducing the need for in-person appointments and hospitalizations.

Will Virtual Care Continue to Grow?

Virtual healthcare technology is here to stay and is likely to continue to grow in popularity and importance as healthcare providers and patients embrace its benefits.

The growth of virtual-first care has changed the healthcare industry for the better. Virtual-first healthcare has the potential to improve health outcomes by enabling patients to more easily track their health data and receive personalized care plans. It can also help to reduce healthcare costs by reducing the need for in-person appointments and hospitalizations.

Healthcare providers and insurers are likely to continue expanding their telemedicine offerings as they see the benefits of virtual-first care in terms of improved patient outcomes, increased efficiency, and reduced costs.

Using Healthie to Provide Virtual-First Care

Healthie’s HIPAA-compliant telehealth and practice management platform helps practitioners implement virtual services into their practice. Our free starter plan provides all of this and more. To learn more or sign up for our services, click here. With a variety of both patient-facing and back-office features, practitioners can trust that their practice will run smoothly as they focus on patient care. 

Telehealth: Telehealth platform that is quick to implement while supporting compliance with HIPAA regulations. Healthie’s telehealth can be used for individual sessions, or for groups and webinars. 

Automated Intake Paperwork: Create a customized intake flow for new clients to be sent automatically upon sign-up, which they can complete virtually

Client Engagement Suite: Track metrics, journal entries, and goals through the platform to measure patient progress along your journey working together. 

Customizable Charting Forms & EHR: Build your own custom forms and chart notes for your business or leverage Healthie’s form library

Patient Messaging: Create message blasts and group chats with clients to streamline communication

Healthie is powering innovation for the next wave of virtual healthcare. Join over 2,000 health & wellness organizations that use Healhtie to deliver modern virtual-first experiences and begin to build long-term relationships with clients today. 

‍