One of the fundamental objectives of telehealth is to reduce the cost of healthcare for patients as well as for providers. But while it has lowered expenditures associated with consultations and in-person visits, the reality is that costs have remained the same in many other areas. In some cases, healthcare has become even more expensive despite the adoption of the telehealth model.
Riley Levy is keenly aware of the challenges associated with reducing healthcare costs via telehealth. The founder and CEO of The Complete Human Co. (TCHC), he has devoted considerable time, effort, and resources to establishing a system by which payers and patients can incur lower medical costs.
The result is TCHC, which offers a comprehensive range of primary care services through telehealth and care coordination processes. Apart from its primary goal of lowering healthcare costs, it also has the notable benefit of reducing hospital readmission rates. For discharged patients that don’t have primary care physicians or have no need for one, TCHC offers a viable alternative.
But Riley would be the first to admit that there remains a lot to be done before telehealth could be an all-encompassing solution for reducing healthcare costs. Despite the huge strides he and other telehealth proponents have made over the past several years, he acknowledges the need to establish a definitive framework in order for the telehealth model to work.
Basic Framework for Cost-Effective Telehealth
There are many areas in which telehealth can be improved to make it a more cost-effective and viable option for patients and providers. Among the key areas to address are:
- Appropriateness
- Training
- Administrative procedures
- Clinician support
Appropriateness
Healthcare facility administrators should provide clinicians with guidelines on the types of patients and sessions that are most appropriate for telehealth. They should also offer guidance on which telehealth services are suitable for their clinical needs.
Among the most important factors to consider are appointment types, clinical tasks, consumer preferences, and access to technology. Assessing these and other factors such as availability of support personnel, consumer condition and comorbidities, and travel distance will help reduce costs while allowing patients access to the care services they need.
Training
Proper training is just as vital with a telehealth model as it is in a traditional clinical or hospital setting. It could be argued that it is even more imperative for telehealth practitioners and stakeholders to be trained in telehealth procedures, considering the challenges imposed by the relatively new healthcare mode.
Training on the technology is crucial of course, but it is just as important to focus on conducting discipline-specific assessments, building rapport, and enhancing online communication.
Administrative Procedures
A broader adoption of telehealth will require additional administrator resources on state and local levels. These will be vital for scheduling and pre-appointment technology checks, as well as the development of procedures and protocols for the delivery of telehealth services.
Clinician Support
Clinical support will be essential for formulating checklists for telehealth appointments and contingency plans for failed technology. It will also be necessary to establish dedicated spaces for telehealth appointments and to plan for the sharing and dissemination of telehealth resources.
Riley Levy’s Continuing Support for Telehealth
Like many telehealth advocates, Riley Levy aims to bridge the divide between hospital care and outpatient community health services. The goal isn’t necessarily to replace inpatient hospital care, but rather to offer a workable solution that addresses the needs of patients that would otherwise be unable to access the care they need. With this framework, it is hoped that we could get even closer to making telehealth a viable solution for a greater number of patients.
