As adoption of digital health solutions continues to grow among physicians – regardless of gender, age or specialty – research from the American Medical Association (AMA) indicates physicians believe digital health tools provide an advantage for patient care and help alleviate some of the administrative burdens they face each day.
The largest growth in the adoption of digital health tools is among those that aid in remote care. According to the study, the percentage of physicians using virtual visits across the U.S. grew from 14% in 2016 to 80% in 2022. Though the total number of virtual visits by CHS-affiliated physicians remains relatively small compared to in-person visits, year-to-date virtual specialty visits and virtual primary care visits comprise 5.9% and 8.4% of total visits, respectively.
The second largest growth in the adoption of digital tools is in remote monitoring devices which grew from 12% in 2016 to 30% in 2022. Use of remote patient monitoring (RPM) increased among CHS-affiliated physicians as well. Care Management at Home is a new CHS program in partnership with Cadence, offering RPM and virtual care support for patients with chronic conditions like hypertension, heart failure, diabetes and other conditions.
Within the first three months of implementation, patients enrolled in the hypertension program achieved an 11 point reduction in systolic blood pressure. The program also has been successful in identifying early interventions and avoidance of unnecessary ER visits. More than 500 patients have been enrolled so far and that number is expected to grow considerably in the months ahead as the program deploys to more CHS markets.
“There are a number of examples across CHS where digital health tools are making a compelling impact,” says CHS President of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lynn Simon. “We encourage physicians to consider these emerging technologies and how they might assist in improving access, outcomes and satisfaction, all of which play an increasingly important role in how consumers are making healthcare decisions.”
According to a recent survey on consumer behavior and attitudes by Huron Consulting, 78% of respondents participated in a telehealth visit in the last 12 months. While 75% of respondents say they are satisfied with their health care, more than half said they are willing to switch providers for superior virtual care offerings.