In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, virtual specialty care has emerged as an entirely new care model poised to revolutionize the way Americans access healthcare. This modernized form of engagement is quickly gaining steam as more people recognize its benefits for patients, employers, and payers alike.
Differentiating between virtual specialty care and telemedicine
While most people became familiar with telemedicine as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has actually been in practice for more than 50 years. Telemedicine is the same tradition of information gathering and interaction with a physician, just using a different mode of communication, instead of meeting with your doctor face-to-face, you can have an appointment via your laptop (or in previous decades, your telephone) while sitting in your own home. However, that’s pretty much the only difference between in-person medicine and telemedicine. Virtual specialty care, on the other hand, is a completely different care model differentiated by the methods of communication, various levels of connectivity within care teams, and most significantly, the overall approach to treatment.
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Virtual specialty care is an integrated care model designed to produce long-term solutions. Built around an app or website, virtual specialty care deploys not only a virtual doctor but an entire virtual care team that works together. With more touch points from a broader range of care team members of varying specialties, this team-informed approach results in a longitudinal care plan that is in the best interest of the patient. Virtual first models will never replace in-person care, but they can provide so many additional opportunities to identify what is right for the patient.
Challenges addressed by virtual specialty care
Today, the United States healthcare system grapples with a brutal trifecta of challenges – access, cost, and quality. The need for comprehensive reforms to address these interconnected difficulties has never been more urgent, and this is where virtual specialty care can play an important role.
1. Cost The rising costs of medical services, pharmaceuticals, and insurance premiums are burdensome for patients and the broader healthcare ecosystem, often forcing tough trade-offs between essential care and affordability. In 2022, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) found that over one in four adults (28%) reported forgoing medical care due to cost, which is troubling given the U.S.’s wealth. Virtual specialty care alters population health management economics by reducing overhead costs compared to clinic-based care. Virtual providers prioritize evidence-based care and aim to standardize treatment, potentially favoring conservative approaches over costly, invasive procedures.
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With virtual specialty and specifically value-based care models, providers are not monetarily motivated to just provide more services. Rather, the incentives are aligned to just offer exactly what is right for the patient. Instead of traditional models where the provider makes more money by performing more procedures, they make money by getting people the specific level of care they need.
2. Access Accessibility to healthcare remains a top concern in this country, with disparities persisting across geographical regions and socioeconomic demographics. Many Americans face barriers to care due to a multitude of factors, including insurance coverage gaps, limited healthcare infrastructure, and exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses.
Access can largely depend on where patients are located geographically. For many Americans living in rural areas, there are few specialists nearby. Meeting face-to-face with someone can require long wait times and expensive travel. Additionally, appointments can be time-consuming and burdensome, requiring people to take time off work that they can’t afford. This was verified by a recent Cleveland Clinic study that looked at patients’ propensity to get a second opinion. While almost three-fourths of patients have considered seeking a second opinion for a serious medical condition, only half did so due to perceived inconveniences, including time, cost, and lack of access.
However, with virtual specialty care, patients’ concerns across all three dimensions are alleviated. They can quickly reach more providers with minimal disruption to their day-to-day lives. Having access to this level of expertise in a longitudinal, data-informed approach where one is not geographically bound will result in the best clinical outcomes sooner and in ways that are far less burdensome, thereby offering a major win for American healthcare.
3. Quality Regardless of one’s financial status or location, everyone wants the best healthcare. However, treatment options and quality of care can vary greatly. Virtual specialty care is highly specialized, as the providers are well-educated and trained in their specialty with years of experience. In traditional brick-and-mortar medicine, these types of specialists can be hard to find and access, virtual specialty care eliminates those access barriers and in-turn provides greater opportunity to work with higher quality specialists. Additionally, virtual specialty care raises the bar as patients are quickly connected with an entire team of qualified experts who gather more data in multiple sites – both inside and outside of a healthcare setting via remote patient monitoring technologies and/or self-reporting. They are able to assess a patient’s well-being more frequently, managing reactively and proactively – resulting in better-coordinated care and the evaluation of more conservative treatment choices rather than a common default decision to undergo more intrusive procedures. Virtual specialty care uplevels the entire patient experience, including a higher quality of care as well as a more tailored and patient centric approach, ultimately resulting in increased patient engagement.
The upside for employers
Employers stand to benefit greatly when their employees embrace virtual specialty care. By promoting access to specialized medical services through digital platforms, employers can mitigate the productivity losses associated with relying only on traditional in-person healthcare visits. As a longitudinal approach to healthcare, virtual specialty care can have long-lasting effects in the workplace by reducing extensive time off work, absenteeism, and disruptions to workflow while promoting improved overall health outcomes among their workforce.
Ultimately, by investing in and encouraging virtual specialty care for employees, employers foster a culture of health and well-being while simultaneously optimizing operational efficiency and productivity.
Photo credit: Sorbetto, Getty Images
Ted is the Chief Engagement Officer for Solera Health. In his role he oversees all the outbound marketing and communications efforts for the company. Prior to Solera, he was President of HelloTech, served as Co-Founder of Dropoff, and as Chief Marketing Officer at Fandango where he built one of the most recognized and well-liked brands in entertainment. Experience prior to entering technology includes Brand Management for NestleUSA, working on Butterfinger, a $200M+ P&L as well as professional sports, non-profit and management consulting. Hong holds a B.A. in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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