Page 1 Shaping Your Telehealth Strategy 2014 Ernst & Young LLP

Health Care Industry Post

News and analysis of current issues
affecting health care providers and payers

Shaping your telehealth strategy

Leveraging telehealth technologies to lower

costs, improve quality outcomes and enhance
the patient experience

Health care reform, the newly insured and a growing interest in population health management
have intensifi ed the market’s interest in telehealth technologies and services. In looking to
extend capabilities and patient interactions beyond traditional care settings, health care
providers are developing integrated strategies for adopting telehealth technologies — as
more payers and employers begin to pay for these services and as the value of these tools is
increasingly quantifi ed. A recent study from business information provider IHS predicts the
US telehealth market will grow from $240 million in revenue in 2013 to $1.9 billion in 2018 —
an annual growth rate of more than 50%.
The anticipated surge is due in part to the current physician shortage and an expanded
patient base under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Key also to the move
toward telehealth are efforts to put consumers at the center of their own health care —
maximizing the power of technology innovations for virtual care, where patients can get the
care they need where and when they need it. In this Health Care Industry Post, we look at
how the industry is leveraging telehealth technologies, as well as strategic considerations for
organizations seeking to launch a sustainable telehealth program.