With Telehealth Here to Stay, Healthcare Looks to Sustain It Through Patient Engagement

Telehealth adoption has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with good reason: Patients are hesitant to venture into brick-and-mortar care settings, yet they have health needs that must still be addressed. This poses a challenge for the healthcare industry, as providers not only look to implement new remote care technologies but to sustain these models over the long term. Telehealth usage may decline somewhat post-pandemic, but it will remain higher than it was and has established itself as a care setting in its own right.

Patient engagement becomes critically important in this scenario. Many healthcare organizations rely on the patient portal for engagement and outreach, but depending on the quality and attractiveness of the portal, this can have mixed results. Better, said Cohen, to communicate with a patient on the latter's terms, relaying information such as when telehealth can be used appropriately and whether it's covered under insurance.