Interview, Fireside Chat
Telehealth’s Rapid Rise
- Telehealth is expected to expand into mental and behavioral health, tele-psychiatry, and chronic disease management for patients unable to attend in-person visits.
- Biopharma and medical device companies anticipate relying on telehealth as the primary method for physician product discussions absent in-person interaction.
- Direct-to-consumer and hospital system embedding channels are projected to achieve multiples of growth post-pandemic.
- Employer, insurer, and direct physician/provider channels are forecasted to grow continuously due to significant physician adoption and rapid consumer awareness.
- Virtual interactions are predicted to increase as patient comfort levels rise, though telehealth is not considered a universal solution for all healthcare interactions.
- Certain specialties, specifically anesthesiology, will remain unable to be practiced virtually due to clinical requirements.
- Research indicates telepsychiatry may offer a superior patient experience, with potential patient preference for virtual interactions.
- Documentation standards for telehealth visits are expected to align more closely with those of in-person visits.
- All covered telehealth companies will operate within HIPAA-compliant environments, with privacy identified as a persistent concern.
- Reimbursement parity between thirty-three Medicare procedural codes and in-person interactions, established by the stimulus bill, has driven significant adoption.
- Access is anticipated to improve for underserved and underinsured populations who historically faced barriers to care.
- Care delivered in the patient's home or current location is expected to consistently result in lower costs compared to other venues.