With the onset of the COVID -19 pandemic, patient expectations changed where they required ongoing care via something other than the face-to-face appointments. The implementation of telemedicine in the provider space seemed like an alternative to an in-person visit.
The reality though was that these solutions were not built to integrate with the workflows that occurred in that space. Because telemedicine on the provider side was driven by the pandemic, quick implementation occurred. As a result, the processes were never refined, and the drivers of change were external to the organizations that needed to implement a solution.
In the past, there was a belief that the customer was a passive participant in the delivery of healthcare and to a large part they just did as they were told. The next model of care delivery will not be a return to the old but could begin to address the inefficiencies of the model we previously used. Thus, health systems will need to relook at the solutions that were hastily implemented and redesign a new solution.
A team must be empowered, test, redesign as necessary, and deploy the new model of care. This must be seen as an iterative process and thus may take years to fully deploy. Thus, no longer can it be a virtual care platform layer on top of an electronic health record. Increasingly we will need to consider the new model: hybrid care delivery.
Hybrid care delivery takes the learnings of virtual care, blends it with the voice of the team and patient, and designs new models of care delivery. It utilizes technology for video conferencing and remote patient monitoring; it impacts the scheduling of patients and redefines the patient waiting room and follow-up appointment; and depending on the payor environment, it changes the need or utilization of the specialist referral.
Hybrid Care should utilize the same process regardless of delivery model, thus optimizing the patient’s experience and optimizing the team’s ability to deliver care successfully. The overall impact should be optimal care delivery at lower cost, better outcomes, and an engaged workforce.
To redesign the care model, a team must be empowered to address the Hybrid Model from three perspectives, the patient, the care team, and the data used for assessment and feedback. The patient experience in-person and virtually should look and feel similar
. Booking the appointment can be done prior to the end of a visit or from home with a device. Prework (either done days or hours before) should include customized forms, validation of history, reason for the appointment from the patient’s perspective.
It can also include the review of any telephonic communication (labs, radiology results, etc.), new medications, insurance validation and co-pay information, and links to visitors or family members that will be participating. The patient should receive an easy-to-use appointment link and be able to ask for assistance at any time. All documentation should be seamlessly integrated into the EHR (electronic health record) to insure a story of the continuum of care. The benefits of this model are extensive, with potential for dashboards, realtime monitoring, waiting rooms, and appointment timers, which can be audited for billing purposes.
Diffusion of innovation in most industries occurs when one segment recognizes a need to redesign the product or process to appeal to the changing consumer demand. Consumer demand has undoubtedly changed, and the adoption of hybrid care will only ensure that a high standard of care continues to be delivered while fully utilizing the pandemic innovation brought about by necessity.
Dr. Mark Kestner is the chief innovation officer at MediGuru and can be reached at his email, which is mark.kestner@cloudix.io.