Beyond Telehealth: Expanding the Definition of Virtual Care

Telehealth has gained a lot of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, and rightly so. It has been incredibly beneficial—critical, really—for enabling patient care while reducing coronavirus exposure risk.

Audio-only communication is the most common form of telehealth being used in physician practices, with video communication used as necessary. This makes sense with respect to patient preferences and practice efficiency. What’s misguided, however, is the continued use of the terms “telehealth” and “virtual care” interchangeably.

With advances in digital health technology, these terms are no longer synonymous, if they ever were. Given recent advances in digitally supported care, we should be much more deliberate in how we define the broader concept of virtual care.

To improve outcomes, providers need tools that permit proactive decision-making and interventions. RPM gives providers the ability to review real-time trends, insights, and patient data.