The Future of Telehealth and Home Health Care

Kevin Stevenson, the Host of the I Don’t Care with Kevin Stevenson podcast, sat down with host Tyler Kern to discuss the past, present, and future of home health care. What was considered atypical in healthcare seemed to become the norm overnight during the COVID pandemic. In actuality, telehealth has existed in some parts of the country such as Nebraska for over 20 years. Stevenson worked in the system at the time and telehealth filled the need to efficiently deliver care for a small population over a large geographical area.

“Covid had just accelerated what needed to happen. Over the last years, many of our providers in my health system were working virtually because of various restrictions that we had early on. And so, we saw our virtual visits just explode in very quick order. So, as that occurred, people started being more comfortable with that and it offered a level of convenience for them,” explained Stevenson. While not everyone throughout the U.S. has access to Internet connectivity, the future will continue to support growth. With technology advancement, including smartwatches, apps, and wearable medical devices, being treated at home for common ailments or chronic conditions continues to get become easier for both patients and providers.

Stevenson went on to discuss the many , benefits and what they mean to patients, healthcare systems, and providers. These benefits include convenience, not having to spend time with other sick people at onsite facilities, and lower healthcare costs. “People have migrated from you know, I have to have that personal contact with my provider to whereas you know my encounter is just as good virtually,” said Stevenson. And while some people may not have embraced or had the opportunity to experience telehealth yet, it is certainly a trend that is here to stay and will continue to evolve to improve patient care.