Telehealth Trends 2022: What Consumers Need to Know
With every year that comes and goes, new trends come to the fore, which shape the healthcare sector. Telehealth is a prime example of this. It is one area of healthcare that we have seen advance considerably in the past few years, and it shows no sign of slowing down.
Due to the social distancing rules that were enforced because of the pandemic, telehealth really started to thrive, enabling doctors to provide care without face-to-face intervention. In fact, an HHS Survey revealed that telehealth utilization increased 63-fold due to the pandemic.
In this blog post, we are going to take a look at the immediate future of telehealth, revealing some of the key US healthcare industry trends that we expect to see throughout the coming year.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth refers to health-related information and services being distributed through electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It enables long-distance clinician and patient contact, monitoring, intervention, education, reminders, advice, care, and remote admissions.
Telehealth statistics
• 69 percent of patients have stated that simple technology would encourage them to make a telemedicine appointment booking (Source)
• 57 percent of patients state they would prefer a doctor offering virtual services (Source)
• 83 percent of millennials state they will use telehealth services going forward (Source)
• The telemedicine market is expected to reach $186.5 billion by 2026 (Source)
• 71 percent of patients have considered telemedicine as an alternative to in-person appointments (Source)
• Most telehealth encounters are for adults aged between 18 and 49-years-old (Source)
Telehealth healthcare trends 2022
Now that you know about the importance of telehealth, we are going to take a look at some of the technology-based healthcare industry trends that we expect to see over the coming year.
1. Data analytics will accelerate innovation, improve patient outcomes, and assist with scheduling
Data analytics is becoming increasingly important in the healthcare industry. Data can be used to enhance drug manufacturing and development by evaluating diagnostic results, predicting patient response to medications, and looking for patterns in clinical trial study results. Healthcare experts are utilizing machine learning algorithms to understand why specific drugs are successful, which can assist them in terms of informing future development efforts. What this means for the patient is improved healthcare, with greater options at their disposal.
This is one of the current trends in healthcare that also has promise in terms of predictive medicine, which involves the use of AI to evaluate medical records and tests, and track how different therapies affect patient groups over time. This will help to lower re-admission rates, as population health data can be used to determine which patient group is at the highest risk.
In clinical settings, data analytics can also attempt to lower patient wait times by improving staffing and scheduling, as well as giving patients more options when they schedule appointments.
2. Increase use of doctor rating websites
Doctor rating websites are thriving in popularity at the moment, as they give patients the opportunity to look for premium quality doctors and specialists in their local area. As the year advances, we are going to see more people turn to solutions like Doc360 when looking for a healthcare provider.
3. Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Robotic Process Automation has a key role to play in the future of telehealth because it can assist in terms of hospital administration, data management, and appointment schedule. RPA-enabled bots can ensure staff optimization, cost savings, and accurate information by accurately scanning patient symptoms and guiding them to the right specialist. What this means for patients is that they are able to see the specialist they need, and they can do so at a much quicker pace.
We also need to consider the fact that mundane and repetitive tasks can be automated. This means that healthcare professionals are going to have more time on their hands to treat patients and provide them with the best possible care.
We have also seen healthcare providers automate the claims process using RPA. This enables them to easily deduce whether claims are worthy of being granted or whether they should be dismissed.
4. Remote patient monitoring
Virtual care programs and telemedicine is being used to give doctors the ability to remotely monitor patients. Health records, sensors that track vital signs, and other types of personal information make this a possibility.
5. Virtual Reality (VR)
Finally, we are also seeing virtual reality being integrated into the healthcare sector. In fact, this market is projected to reach USD 4367 Million by 2027. Virtual clinic tours, educating clinical students with real-life case visualizations, and surgical training are just a few examples of how VR can be used. Major players in the healthcare VR market include TheraSim, GE Healthcare, Simulaids, and Philips Healthcare.
Telehealth is here to stay but payment security lies at the heart of it
Telehealth is certainly here to stay. However, one matter that needs to be addressed is the payment side of things. Most people will pay for telehealth appointments upfront via the Internet. Secure payment terminals need to be used to guarantee that data is protected. HIPAA and PCI DSS requirements must be adhered to, ensuring data security and peace of mind.
The future of telehealth is bright
It is clear to see that telehealth is thriving at the moment, and this shows no signs of slowing down. This provides doctors with a great way of making their service more efficient, ensuring that patients can get access to healthcare with improved speed and fewer restrictions.
