healthsystemCIO.com is the sole online-only publication dedicated to exclusively and comprehensively serving the information needs of healthcare CIOs.
The answer to the most basic question surrounding telehealth — ‘Is it as good as in-person care?’ — is anything but simple, according to Dr. Joseph Kvedar. In this piece, he examines the pros and cons of different types of clinical research and shares examples from recent literature that can help uncover some answers.
The problem with digital health adoption? Developers (especially startups) want to move quickly, whereas physicians want to see evidence, which can be “time-consuming and expensive to obtain,” according to Joseph Kvedar, MD.
The virtual care model isn’t perfect, but it can “effectively address the needs of challenging patient populations, including those requiring virtual management of controlled substances,” according to Joseph Kvedar, MD, Senior Advisor of Virtual Care at Mass General Brigham.
Taking economics out of the picture, the value proposition that tips the scales for telehealth is quality, according to Joseph Kvedar, MD, who cites examples where “we can extend access, provide patient convenience, and do so at a higher quality than in-person.”
Telehealth can play a much bigger role in improving care and satisfaction. But until it becomes more attractive to physicians, that potential may never be reached, according to Joseph Kvedar, MD, Senior Advisor of Virtual Care at Mass General Brigham.
