This year is likely to be another big one for telemedicine.

The technology-enabled form of healthcare delivery has huge momentum coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. But at the same time, the pandemic public health emergency is scheduled to end in May, which means action is needed by lawmakers to keep reimbursement going in 2023. There's lots going on, to say the least.

Michael Gorton is founder and CEO of Recuro Health, a virtual care company that offers Digital Medical Home, which enables members in all 50 states to virtually access comprehensive healthcare services, including virtual primary and urgent care, behavioral health, at-home lab testing, genomics testing, as well as a suite of supplemental benefits.

We interviewed Gorton to get his expert perspective on what may be the big trends in telehealth this year. And he offered four big ones.

Q. You suggest this year will see the continued transformation of virtual care to virtual-first. Why do you think this will be? And what will it look like at provider organizations?

A. Virtual care continues to transform traditional healthcare from a reactive, disease-focused model to a proactive, holistic system that is digitally integrated, patient-centric, and focused on personalized health and wellness.

We anticipate rapid expansion of virtual care that will dramatically reshape how healthcare services are accessed, coordinated and delivered. Virtual care already has replicated many aspects of traditional health provisions now efficiently and effectively delivered remotely, shifting the site of care from the physician’s office into the home.

Advancements in wireless communications and data technologies are enabling remote patient screenings and diagnostics in a way not previously thought possible – and forging a digitally connected relationship between patients and providers.

We are seeing more focus on a “virtual-first” approach to solving significant healthcare challenges, while also driving value throughout the healthcare ecosystem and along the patient’s healthcare journey. By connecting patients with providers through a virtual-first experience, it is improving access, outcomes, satisfaction and the quality of life for patients and successfully helping providers meet today’s challenges in complex clinical and financial environments.

Challenges addressed by virtual-first care include:

• Addressing healthcare needs of an exploding population coupled with a shortage of primary care physicians, nurses and clinical resources.
• Responding to demand for affordable and convenient healthcare services given a surge in general and healthcare inflation.
• Reducing associated provider, payer and patient costs in value-based care arrangements.
• Resolving barriers to care associated with social determinants of health and health equity priorities.
• Improving overall patient experience and outcomes scores that incentivize new quality payment models.

Given its current popularity and progress, virtual care will increasingly demonstrate its value and scalability to become the preferred healthcare delivery method for providers in value-based care. The cost-reducing and affordability aspects of virtual-first care also will influence payer adoption as a benefit covered by health plans and insurance.

Q. You predict that with telemedicine there will be a greater focus on care coordination. How so?

A. The digital health industry is bringing telemedicine/health innovation to market that is creating new efficiency paradigms in coordinating healthcare.

Care coordination is a natural extension of the remote care model that integrates both digital and virtual care. It accesses healthcare in a cogent way that drives better outcomes and provides a new moniker for the care gatekeeper, such as a patient’s virtual primary care physician.

New virtual health solutions are being introduced that provide for “complete and coordinated” care integrated into one central platform. Comprehensive services include virtual primary and urgent care, behavioral health, at-home lab testing, genomics testing, as well as a suite of supplemental benefits, such as chronic care management, pharmacy and care navigation.

On-demand access to in-demand health services is enabled through the most advanced IT, computing and mobile technologies across multiple communication channels, including real-time video and secure messaging.

Payers are placing high value on this one-stop resource, which integrates all their vendor solutions and providers in one central location to relieve “vendor fatigue.” Virtual care’s seamless, single-point patient experience is delivering coordinated provider health services that are digitally optimized as a benefit of a member’s health plan.

Q. Another trend you believe will be strong this year is payers embracing virtual behavioral health. Why do you think this will be?

A. The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to our nation’s healthcare system with a surge in demand for clinical behavioral health services. The pandemic, in retrospect, revealed vulnerabilities to our healthcare system and realization that mental health conditions are an underlying comorbidity.

As mental health issues become more socially destigmatized, we continue to see a surge in post-COVID-19 demand for professional counseling and therapy to address residual stress, anxiety and depression.

Many still at risk, including adults and teens, are finding it difficult and costly to access care when needed the most – at home, work and school. This demand severely strains clinical resources and reveals a shortage of providers and other vulnerabilities of the behavioral health system. This recognized a need for a new generation of innovative virtual behavioral health solutions.

Despite concerns about rising healthcare costs, employer-sponsored health plans are focused on improving access to mental health services and reducing burnout among employees. Payers are enhancing their mental health and well-being benefits for employees and are poised to continue expanding scalable offerings through continued investment in virtual behavioral health solutions in 2023.

Q. And you say higher utilization of telehealth will lead to greater health equity. Please elaborate.

A. Along the healthcare journey, patients are faced with multiple challenges and barriers to accessing timely, quality affordable healthcare. Virtual care is serving an important role in overcoming health inequities that result in at-risk patient barriers to care associated with their social determinants of health, which specifically impact access, cost and quality.

Access to quality, affordable healthcare is a fundamental human right, regardless of patient location, economic status or race. The American Medical Association says telehealth has the potential to become an important tool to address longstanding health inequities in the historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the financial success of physician practices are becoming dependent on meeting metric goals of new quality payment models that include health equity priorities, providers are seeking guidance on health equity strategies and resources that will help them succeed in value-based care arrangements.

The American Medical Association encourages physicians to examine their own practices to ensure equality in medical care. As awareness of the impact of social determinants of health factors has increased, physicians now are putting more focus and priority on health equity to meet the socioeconomic needs of their patients.

Virtual care is providing physicians with a tech-enabled solution to addressing health equity challenges in value-based care environments.

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