Is it Time to Update Your Care Delivery Strategy?
by Elizabeth
The costs of care delivery continue rise, even in the face of new technologies designed to enable telemedicine, or virtual care delivery. Some of this is due to the cumbersome nature of certain tools and poorly conceived incentives, but the fear of change relative to both clinical processes and reimbursement impact, keeps many provider groups from embracing the virtual approach to improving clinical efficiencies.
Local physician, turned entrepreneur, Arlen Meyers M.D. is an outspoken proponent of overhauling care delivery in support of better health and financial outcomes. In a recent article entitled, Stop the Unnecessary Medical Visits, Dr. Meyers presents several cases for why it’s time to seriously consider making this strategic shift.
…However, there are many other reasons, like defensive medicine or perverse financial incentives, that add to cost and inconvenience and are wasteful and unnecessary.
Embracing virtual care improves clinical efficiencies and can reduce the overall cost of care for providers, payers and patients. It’s time to reconsider when and how we connect with our patients. Technology has become far less of a limiter than the human factor. It’s time to formulate and execute upon a care delivery strategy grounded in convenience – accessible to everyone. It should be supported by technology designed to connect patients to the most cost-effective care delivery channel based on their changing, individual needs and health condition. k
Best to be our own agents of change, retaining strategic control of both care delivery and business strategy that benefits patients, providers and payers. The alternative is waiting for regulation to force us into a less than ideal care delivery model.
Posted in: Care Delivery, connected health, e-health, Telemedicine, Virtual Care