Dec 28
2020
How eConsults Fit Into The Future of Healthcare
By Brooke LeVasseur, CEO, AristaMD.
We have turned a page to the next chapter in healthcare for the US. At its core is a new delivery system in which we leverage all available tools to allocate our precious resources, and the patient is at the center of it all.
We have a severe shortage of providers in the U.S. and must utilize the right tools at the right time to match patients to the right resources in the right place. In addition, healthcare needs to be more consumer-centric, as we are witnessing a rising demand of patients seeking options like telehealth that deliver high quality care faster, more conveniently, and affordably.
Lastly, as we adapt our care deliver models in the future, we need to keep an eye on reducing the stark inequities that have become glaringly apparent during this pandemic. Modalities like telehealth hold the promise to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate access to care through expanded networks and to help close gaps in care and address social determinants of health.
Telehealth solutions can be used to optimize the efficiency of healthcare delivery and ultimately improve patient experience. One mode of telehealth, eConsults, ensure that patients are treated by the right provider in the right setting, by facilitating effective peer collaboration that can support all providers to operate at the top of their license. What that means in practice is that primary care providers can get guidance from specialists to help design care plans, and that in-person visits to specialists can be reserved for those patients with more complex issues who cannot be treated virtually.