How 2020 changed virtual care
The path to virtual care is not paved with video visits, but with full-service, digital consultations. As the COVID-19 pandemic put a new level of pressure on the healthcare industry to innovate that had never been seen before, health systems put plans for digitization into overdrive and shifted an unprecedented number of appointments and visits to a virtual setting.
However, as the pandemic stretched on, we’ve seen that a transactional telemedicine video visit with a physician is not a cure-all by itself – rather, next-generation virtual-first triage and full-service digital solutions are models that truly move the needle on health engagement. Beyond simply encouraging telemedicine conversations with physicians from the comfort of one’s own home, health systems, payers, and patients alike have begun to consider other ways in which virtual platforms can provide efficient, effective access to healthcare support and coordination services.
The initial COVID-19 telemedicine boom
When we look at industry trends, we’ve seen that telemedicine visits skyrocketed at the start of the pandemic: telemedicine comprised an estimated 69% of all visits in mid-April, while visits to in-person providers dropped 60%. Furthermore, nearly 44% of all Medicare primary care visits in April were provided via telehealth, compared to 0.1% in February. Providers were quick to embrace almost any type of telemedicine solution at a time when many patients were unsure about how to safely access care.
We saw similar trends at Pager at the start of the pandemic. Between January and April 2020, our nurses and care coordinators experienced a 362.5% increase in patient encounters, as a growing number of members turned to Pager for both COVID-19-related concerns and other health issues. Through Pager’s platform, members were provided testing site information and CDC guidance, and nurses triaged patients such that only those who were truly in need of in-person care visited a doctor’s office, urgent care clinic, or emergency room.
Adapting to patient needs with virtual care
As time passed, many telemedicine providers experienced significant decreases in usage as providers and patients alike became more comfortable with in-person visits. For example, recent data from The Commonwealth Fund shows that as of October, overall in-person visits had rebounded to pre-pandemic levels:
Data and graph source: Ateev Mehrotra et al., The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outpatient Care: Visits Return to Prepandemic Levels, but Not for All Providers and Patients (Commonwealth Fund, Oct. 2020). https://doi.org/10.26099/41xy-9m57
In contrast, we continue to see high numbers of virtual patient encounters at Pager – even surpassing levels seen on the platform at the start of the pandemic. Pager serviced 62% more chats in December 2020 compared to April 2020.
This increase was primarily driven by a diversity of overlapping virtual care services, including nurse triage and appointment scheduling. Through our services, we continue to see that individuals are seeking support for a variety of health needs – whether that be chatting with a nurse to get health advice or working with a care coordinator to schedule an appointment with an in-network specialist. While our telemedicine visits have decreased as a percentage of our total services since the start of the pandemic (though at a lower pace than what we’ve seen industry wide), we’ve found that many patients continue to see value in virtual services outside a typical visit with a doctor.
How nurse triage can improve virtual care offerings
As the COVID-19 pandemic forces us to rethink how we receive and deliver care, a large number of patients found that for many illnesses or conditions, virtual care services can be a more efficient, effective, and convenient option.
We’ve seen a sustained increase in non-telemedicine nurse triage chats since the pandemic began, now comprising around 1/4 of our chats, on average. Patients with a rash or a stomachache, for example, can connect with a nurse who can recommend at-home care or over the counter treatments for low-acuity cases, keeping patients at home and reducing the burden on physicians; during a pandemic, this can mean helping to keep patients safe. With nurses and care coordinators available 24/7, patients are able to connect with a nurse or care coordinator to schedule an appointment or receive clinical guidance and triage to direct them to the most appropriate care for them.
While healthcare leaders continue to identify the ways that virtual care can improve efficiencies and member experiences – beyond simply offering video visits, but through unique approaches to provide triage that enable the right care for the right person at the right time – we will continue to see patients turning to platforms like Pager that meet individuals where they are to improve health.
Learn more about how Pager’s virtual care capabilities can help your members access the right care at the right time.
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