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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.
It’s hard to think that machines might do some tasks better than humans – especially clinicians who have trained for years to develop higher cortical skills. But they can, says Dr. Joseph Kvedar, especially when recognizing patterns in large data sets and using them to make predictions.
As telehealth crosses the threshold from ‘toy’ to tool, it’s imperative that healthcare organizations offer clinicians education and certification that is rigorous, research-based, and steeped in collective experiences, says Dr. Joseph Kvedar.
When it comes to telehealth is that the industry has grown by “leaps and bounds” since early 2020. But if the momentum is to continue, there’s still a lot of “critical work” that needs to be done, according to Joseph Kvedar, MD.
