Striking the Right Balance Between Technology and Humans to Achieve Better Behavioral Health

Telehealth has rapidly become the new normal for millions of patients and healthcare providers seeking access to convenient care. Initially a temporary pivot to help providers and physicians cope with pandemic restrictions, remote treatment models and comprehensive telehealth tools quickly provided valuable patient insights, more accurate risk assessment and streamlined communications. Over 41 million telehealth claims were made in the U.S. between April and July 2020. For the majority of patients and providers, telehealth was healthcare in 2020. And that trend is only accelerating.

A combination of factors, including increasing consumer confidence in remote diagnostic and treatment tools, widespread provider adoption and integration into existing models, and important regulation changes — like Medicare expansion for reimbursement for telehealth visits — have shifted the healthcare landscape toward more remote or hybrid models that combine remote diagnostic and treatment methodologies with traditional visits.