Take the Next Step to Advance Telehealth Innovation

COVID-19 has upended priorities for hospitals and health systems in nearly all areas of leadership focus, including digital health innovation. Expanding and accelerating the shift to telehealth has become priority No. 1, with other technology initiatives put on hold or slowed down due to budgetary constraints and uncertainty about the future.

Pressing digital health innovation areas like revenue cycle management, operational efficiency and population health management remain concerns, but now pale in comparison to sustaining telehealth expansion momentum, according to the Top of Mind for Health Systems 2021 report from the Center for Connected Medicine and KLAS.

The Center for Connected Medicine connects leaders and innovators while KLAS is a health care-focused research firm whose data helps provider, payer and employer organizations make informed software and services decisions.

With the initial surge in pandemic response now over, provider organizations must work to address common telehealth system challenges like:

• Finding solutions to integration gaps, particularly in platforms with inadequate health care workflows.
• Refining telehealth systems to improve ease of use, patient experience and connectivity.
• Determining what level of virtual care services can be sustained given expected regulatory and reimbursement policy changes as the pandemic subsides.

Taking steps like these can help you capitalize and sustain the momentum your organization has created in expanding telehealth access and services and offering greater convenience and value to patients.