Most Physicians, Hospital Execs Working to Sustain, Optimize Telehealth

A recent survey from Sage Growth Partners that polled practice-based physicians and hospital executives provided insight into telehealth trends, including telehealth growth and optimization efforts.

In the last few years, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare delivery has evolved rapidly. The changes involve the uptake of telehealth and virtual care resources, as well as the experiences of those who use them.

In September, Sage Growth Partners, a healthcare advisory firm, conducted a survey to determine how the telehealth landscape is changing. Encompassing the input of 170 practice-based physicians and hospital-based C-suite executives, the survey focused on telehealth goals and benefits.

When asked whether the acceleration of telehealth will continue, researchers found that stakeholders will focus more on optimizing current telehealth programs rather than growing them. Only about 10 percent of survey respondents claimed that their organizations are directing efforts toward growing telehealth offerings. On the other hand, 70 percent of practice-based physicians and 56 percent of hospital executives stated that they are focusing on sustaining or optimizing existing programs.

Regarding objectives, researchers found that practice and hospital leaders viewed telehealth as a channel for expanding patient access rather than market share. However, come 2023, Sage Growth Partners researchers predicted that telehealth distributors would ramp up competition, causing change. 

"Organizations that want to attract and retain patients must continue to offer or expand their telehealth services," said Dan D'Orazio, Sage Growth Partners' CEO, in a press release. "Telehealth can help hospitals protect market share and compete with industry disruptors, but our survey findings indicate that many hospital and practice leaders do not recognize this. Only 21 percent of hospital executives and 15 percent of practice leaders said telehealth has a major or significant impact on protecting their market share. In 2023, we anticipate that more hospitals and practices will begin seeing telehealth as essential to compete and grow."

When asked about the key benefits telehealth provides an organization, 73 percent of practice physicians and 62 percent of hospital executives answered that patient access received a positive boost, followed by 60 percent of practice physicians and 57 percent of hospital executives who cited patient satisfaction.

Further, respondents agreed that telehealth could boost physician satisfaction as well, with 46 percent of executives and 47 percent of physicians saying that clinicians like using telehealth visits to treat patients.

The survey also predicts that practices will view telehealth as a way to enhance care in 2023. More than half of the survey respondents in each group indicated that telehealth could enable comprehensive care while ensuring continuity.

Another research prediction is that practices and hospitals will focus on improving telehealth workflows in 2023. About 57 percent of organizations, both practices and hospitals, still need to create new workflows for telehealth visits. Their virtual care workflow currently mirrors their in-person care workflows.

The report notes that the organizations might partner with third-party administrators to provide telehealth services. However, hospitals are more than twice as likely to work with third parties to administer telehealth services than practices.

The benefits of telehealth, along with the continued use of virtual care, have led to many requests for regulatory extensions related to telehealth policy.

Earlier this month, the Connected Health Initiative (CHI) wrote a letter to the US Senate and House of Representatives asking for an extension of the safe harbor for telehealth coverage by high-deductible health plans. In the letter, the CHI detailed the benefits that telehealth provides and how various populations obtained necessary care as a result of access to these services.