From the Guidelines
The primary objective of restructuring the American healthcare system was indeed to increase quality and access to care while minimizing costs, which ultimately led to the development of telehealth as a vital component of this effort. The "triple aim" of improving patient experience, enhancing population health, and reducing per capita costs has been a consistent goal of healthcare reform efforts, and telehealth has emerged as a key solution to achieve these objectives 1. By leveraging technology to deliver care remotely, telehealth has expanded access to medical services, particularly for underserved and rural populations, thereby overcoming geographical barriers and reducing travel time and expenses for patients 1.
Key Benefits of Telehealth
- Reducing transportation costs, especially for rural or low-income populations with chronic health conditions 1
- Improving patient safety through continuous monitoring and real-time data transmission 1
- Enhancing patient engagement and empowerment in their own decision-making 1
- Reducing overuse of services and increasing access to medically necessary services 1
- Improving medication adherence and reducing nonadherence to medication protocols 1
The growth of telehealth has been significantly supported by policy changes aimed at achieving the triple-aim objectives, including reimbursement reforms and regulatory adjustments that facilitate virtual care delivery 1. While telehealth was developing before major healthcare reforms, its potential to maintain continuity of care during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has further accelerated its adoption 1. Overall, the development of telehealth is a direct result of the efforts to restructure the American healthcare system, with the primary goal of increasing quality and access to care while minimizing costs.
From the Research
Background of the American Health Care System
- The American health care system has undergone significant changes over the years, with a focus on increasing quality and access to care while minimizing costs 2.
- The system's fragmentation has led to complex issues, including the challenge of achieving cost-effective integrated delivery 2.
Objective of Restructuring the Health Care System
- The objective of restructuring the American health care system was to increase quality and access to care and to minimize costs, which led to the development of telehealth settings 2.
- Telehealth has been effectively used for managing chronic disease conditions, and its utilization patterns vary across populations 3.
Telehealth Effectiveness
- Studies have shown that telehealth can be equivalent or more clinically effective when compared to usual care, with evidence supporting its use in various medical disciplines 4.
- Telehealth has been found to be effective in managing chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes mellitus 5, 6.
Key Findings
- A systematic review of meta-analyses found that telehealth was as effective, if not more, than usual care in various medical disciplines 4.
- A retrospective cohort study found that clinical video telehealth was associated with increased ED visits, but lower risk of inpatient admissions and mortality for patients with diabetes mellitus 6.
- Telehealth utilization patterns vary across demographics and chronic diseases, revealing significant disparities, with elderly individuals and those with lower socioeconomic status tend to use audio-only modality 3.