No… I am not Adam Savage. Nor am I Jamie Hyneman (although I would probably look cool with the handlebar mustache). I don’t even play a scientist on TV, but I do know a thing or two about healthcare information technology and I have a crack team of virtual health experts at my disposal. Together, we’re going to tackle some of the stickiest myths in virtual health. Today’s topic: Lack of Demand in Telemedicine.
In case you missed it, last year Vidyo launched its first annual telehealth adoption survey. We learned all kinds of neat things. One lesson learned is that the top reason why non-adopters stay non-adopters is that (there is) “Not enough demand to justify the expense.”
Is this the case? Well…, Unfortunately, the survey’s crosstab data didn’t directly answer this question. However, what we do have is proxy data. As we will learn in the upcoming blog about state and federal policy, Medicare Fee for Service claim volume is growing at a staggering rate. A whopping 1225% from 2010 to 2015, with a CAGR of roughly 20% over the last three years of the reported data. Additionally, a recent report by HealthcareIT News indicates that “40 percent of millennials report that telemedicine is an extremely or very important option” in how they receive their care.
Finally (I know, I know, this is completely subjective and I am appealing to authority… but that won’t stop me), we discussed the issue of demand with Lauren Faison, Administrator, Regional Development, Population Health and Telemedicine at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. Lauren is a respected leader and visionary (who will be speaking at our 2018 Vidyo Healthcare Summit, BTW) in the world of virtual care. Lauren has built an incredibly successful program in a predominantly rural catchment area that, on the surface, one might not think would have a huge demand for virtual care. Lauren’s comment on demand sums up the issue nicely, I think:
“Virtual care is here to stay. It’s not a fad. It is becoming much more commonplace and people will expect it from their physicians.”
We agree, Lauren. We agree.
Myth: BUSTED
Be sure to check out our latest report, Making Telehealth Work for You: The Ultimate Guide, where we dive deeper into the strategy and tactics of developing a virtual health program, and how to overcome the common barriers many telehealth champions face while driving their initiatives forward.