More than convenience: How leaders are leveraging telehealth to achieve their strategic plan

When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in early 2020, some health systems were forced to dramatically expand their telehealth capabilities in a matter of days. As clinicians and patients alike became more comfortable with virtual care technology, adoption increased exponentially in both outpatient and inpatient settings.

Long after the pandemic surge and even as in-person volumes return to normal, telehealth will clearly remain a significant aspect of care delivery in the U.S. Leaders are ever-aware of telehealth’s promise to expand their capabilities, supplement their workforce and ease clinician burden, especially within inpatient settings. As executives consider the future of telehealth beyond the rapid investments they made during COVID-19, they should be viewing it not just as a tool of convenience, but also as a strategic asset that can help grow existing service lines, drive new revenue and more effectively deliver care. Telehealth technology can play a key role in supporting an organization’s strategic vision—often at a lower cost than traditional care modalities.

In early 2021, AvaSure partnered with Modern Healthcare Custom Media to survey healthcare leaders about their organizations’ use of telehealth technology in acute care and inpatient facilities. The survey contained several questions asked in a similar study in 2018. Responses from 173 executives paint a picture of how telehealth is currently being utilized at health systems, how that compares to the past, and how executives expect to utilize the technology in the years ahead.

In this executive brief, we’ll share insights from the survey on telehealth adoption, purchasing and implementation, and analyze how leaders should respond to these trends so that they can leverage telehealth in a strategic manner within their organization.