Asynchronous vs Synchronous Telehealth: Benefits, Uses, and More
Boosting patient satisfaction, outcomes and ROI
If you’ve navigated here, you likely know what telehealth is. However, you might be surprised (or maybe you're not) to learn that there are actually two main types of telehealth services: asynchronous and synchronous. If you’re interested in implementing telehealth technology at your company, knowing how these different remote methods work and their best use cases is important. Therefore, we’ll dive into what they are, the difference between asynchronous and synchronous telehealth, their benefits, and more.
A brief background on telehealth
Although telehealth isn’t new, as it dates back to the late 1950s, it didn’t see significant adoption until the COVID-19 public health emergency. During this time, clinicians needed a way to continue providing patients with access to care, and this telehealth provided that. In fact, during the very early stages of COVID-19, the United States saw a 154% increase in the utilization of telehealth services.
Both asynchronous and synchronous telehealth were instrumental in helping providers care for their patient populations during this time. Let’s dive into its more familiar form of delivery, synchronous visits, first.
What is synchronous telehealth?
When providers and patients interact in real-time using a phone, video connection, and/or secure messaging, this is known as synchronous telehealth. This approach is meant to achieve the same goals as in-person care without the in-person visit.. Therefore, if a patient needs a prescription, treatment plan, or even a diagnosis, but lacks access to an in-person facility, synchronous telehealth helps make that possible.
During the pandemic, this form of telehealth technology saw a tremendous increase in use, as video visits were often seen as a safe and convenient approach. For context, during April to December 2019, there were approximately 5 million telehealth visits among Medicare recipients alone, and this number skyrocketed to 53 million during the same timeframe in 2020.
Are patients satisfied with synchronous telehealth?
Patients have responded favorably to synchronous telehealth. A 2022 survey of 800 patients at Penn Medicine revealed that 67% of participants found video or telephone visits as “good or better” than in-person visits. Another study in 2023 noted that patient satisfaction rates ranged from 78% to 94% for video visits and 84.6% for phone only.
These studies show that patients are interested in synchronous telehealth as a mode of care, making it an attractive feature for companies to consider.
Real-world examples of synchronous telehealth
Conducting a live video call to obtain a GLP-1 prescription
Completing a video conference with a physical therapist to discuss injuries and next steps
Making follow-up appointments via video or phone as a part of fertility care
Speaking with a primary care physician or specialist using a videoconferencing application
Receiving mental health support via virtual visits
Discussing new skin conditions with a dermatologist
What are the benefits of synchronous telehealth?
If you’re thinking about adding synchronous telehealth to your organization, here are some of the benefits you can expect from it:
Improves access to care, especially for those in rural areas
Decreases patient no-shows
Improves patient retention
Decreases administrative costs
Lowers clinical operation costs,
Providers can see more patients without using additional clinical resources
Expands patient pool and treatment offerings
What is asynchronous telehealth?
Unlike synchronous telehealth, where interactions occur in real-time, asynchronous telehealth happens over time. You may also hear it being referred to as store-and-forward telehealth, as it allows providers and patients to send and view information when it’s most convenient for them. This form of technology is often used for patient intake and follow-up care.
There are two subcategories of asynchronous telehealth: remote patient monitoring (RPM) and mobile health (mHealth).
Remote patient monitoring
RPM uses technology to deliver, gather and store health information for later use. With this tool, providers can monitor various aspects of a patient's health from home, such as their blood pressure or blood glucose levels. In the United States alone, there was a fourfold increase in the use of RPM tools among commercially insured populations between March 2020 and March 2021.
Mobile health (mHealth)
mHealth is a term for using mobile devices and other wireless technology in the healthcare industry. It’s often used for treatment support, chronic disease management and disease surveillance. Many patients already use wearable devices, like a smartwatch, that can capture health data.
Does asynchronous telehealth improve health outcomes?
Better health outcomes are a win-win for patients, providers, and companies. One study published in 2021 found supporting evidence that asynchronous visits may offer clinical outcomes comparable to in-person care and lower healthcare costs.
Real-world examples of asynchronous telehealth
Sharing a video clip of physical therapy exercises with patients
Collecting patient data via mobile apps during disease outbreaks/natural disasters
Sending educational videos about sleep best practices
Monitoring postpartum hypertension using RPM devices
Assessing men’s health outcomes using symptom survey questionnaires
Sending healthy diet tips in a GLP weight-loss program
Reviewing lab and imaging results
What are the benefits of asynchronous telehealth?
Greater clinical efficiency
Increased accessibility to care
Cost effective
Improved documentations
More automated and streamlined processes
Powering asynchronous and synchronous telehealth for leading digital health companies
In this blog we explained the difference between asynchronous and synchronous visits and the potential benefits they could offer your company. But how do you integrate these tools into your practice? After all, it’s clear that telehealth is a powerful tool for healthcare organizations looking to expand their offerings and reduce costs.
That’s where we come in! At OpenLoop, we offer white-label, easy-to-utilize telehealth solutions customized to meet the needs of your business and patients. With a vast, nationwide clinician network and HIPAA-compliant technology, we help you expand your services seamlessly without sacrificing quality of care.
Want to learn more? Contact us today!
Our full suite of white-labeled virtual care services includes: