What Is Needed for Telehealth's Next Big Steps Forward?

Though many physicians and patients alike have been engaging in telehealth, Yoder believes there are some immediate trends and expectations healthcare will see from virtual care moving forward.

The introduction of electronic health record systems introduced medical data mobility. No longer relegated to the basement, the data could be easily shared, aggregated, and evaluated. Data was in the right hands at the right time and saved lives.

But the promise of data mobility stalled. The same government regulations intended to make data more portable and available became a hurdle to new healthcare delivery services. Faxes, pagers, and CDs are still a primary technology for referrals, urgent communications, and MRI exchanges.

To realize the promise of a digital front door, technology must bring contextual intelligence, communication, and data to the proper point of care.