May 29, 2020: This is a special episode consisting of sections from our panel on funding and the future of telehealth featuring insights on the topic from CHIME representatives, Mari Savickis and Andrew Tomlinson, and three healthcare CIOs, Stephanie Lahr, Praveen Chopra, and Albert Oriol — you can watch the full video on YouTube. The conversation revolves around the current massive experiment in telehealth resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Following its successes, there’s a need for lawmakers to understand telehealth’s value. Mari and Andrew explore the mechanisms behind healthcare legislation before noting how digital literacy and internet access challenges telehealth’s effectiveness. Stephanie provides her perspective that telehealth is here to stay, even if funding won’t support it. Albert talks about how the use of telehealth will be restricted to how financially viable services while Praveen notes the cases in which telehealth can serve as a good business model. Bill closes the robust discussion with some rapid-fire questions for the group. By giving a platform to five experts, this episode provides ample context on the state of telehealth. Listen to it to find out if telehealth really is the future of healthcare.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Mari details the necessary conditions for national public health waivers to move forward.
- The importance of lawmakers in renewing Public Health Emergency waivers.
- Patient’s digital literacy and internet access has been a challenge for telehealth.
- Why Monument Health will continue using telehealth, even if funding for it is cut.
- How telehealth has unlocked treatments for patients that would be ineligible without it.
- Albert’s view that telehealth can’t be provided when it results in financial loss.
- While telehealth is a working alternative, it can be sub-optimal to face-to-face healthcare.
- Why telehealth shouldn’t be rolled back until the data has been reviewed.
- Praveen’s thoughts on why telehealth is here to stay and the need to build policy around it.
- Telehealth’s business potential in increasing patient intake.
- How telehealth can decrease patient appointment times and increase doctor capacity.
- Winning the hearts and minds of politicians with data.
- Due to healthcare coverage, some patients won’t have the luxury of telehealth.
- What consumers are willing to pay for; specialist consultations.
- The consensus about how vital it is to practice telemedicine across state lines.
- Keiser’s unique market position and how they offer telehealth services.
- How critical implementing proper structure is when offering telehealth.
- How telemedicine might influenced specialists to continue practicing and not retire.
- Andrew emphasizes the need to hear the experiences of telehealth practitioners.
