How Telehealth Improves Chronic Care Management & Outcomes
4 ways telehealth improves chronic care management
With the United States adult population aging, we have one big problem on the horizon: chronic conditions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), non-communicable diseases are taking “an immense and increasing toll on lives, livelihoods, health systems, communities, economies and societies.” But just how much of a problem are we looking at?
In the United States alone, the number of people 50 and older with at least one chronic illness is predicted to increase by 99.5% between 2020 and 2050. Plus, data shows that in 2022, about 90% of the country's $4.5 trillion in annual healthcare expenditures covered individuals with chronic and mental health ailments.
Because of its mounting effect, leaders are trying to determine different ways to manage chronic diseases, and telehealth is commonly mentioned as a solution. Therefore, below, we’ll explore how organizations can use telehealth to bridge the health gap for chronic care management (CCM).
Meeting patients where they’re at
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we relied heavily on in-person visits to manage health conditions. However, synchronous videoconferencing quickly became a primary means of providing healthcare during the pandemic. In fact, legislative changes promoted the use of telehealth to protect vulnerable patients and providers.
Since then, telehealth has remained a staple, especially regarding providing continuity of care in chronic care management.
With virtual visits, patients with chronic conditions could:
Meet with specialists, such as cardiologists, rheumatologists and dermatologists
Discuss their lab and imaging results with a provider
Receive a diagnosis
Establish routine follow-up visits
Complete medication reconciliation
Conduct mental health visits
And more!
Telehealth removes barriers to care
Interventions, like virtual appointments, remove the conventional hurdles that result in healthcare disparities. With this tool, patients don’t have to worry about transportation, work commitments, or childcare; they can easily speak to a provider from the comfort of their own homes.
Additionally, thanks to the elimination of many administrative costs, organizations are often able to offer their patients a more affordable care solution.
Create better patient engagement and adherence
The convenience of telehealth also promotes better patient engagement and treatment plan adherence. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers documented that:
After a 12-month intervention of telemedicine consultations, patients with diabetes had decreased fasting blood glucose levels.
Following 6 months of virtual appointments, patients with hypertension saw improved blood pressure.
Virtual care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis resulted in better medication adherence.
More timely medical interventions
Telehealth platforms allow for follow-up care and ongoing monitoring, which are critical in chronic care management. Instead of waiting weeks to see their doctor in person again, patients can video call or chat with a provider in minutes. This makes adjusting treatment plans in a timely manner feasible and also ends up being a much more cost-effective approach than emergency care.
Reduce administrative burdens for your providers
Telehealth allows healthcare providers to utilize various tools for report management, data storage and networking, which one study noted “improves the quality of medical practice.”
Providers can also efficiently access patient information, thus reducing the time spent sifting through mounds of paperwork. In addition, doctors often don’t have to dedicate as much time to virtual appointments as in-person ones, giving them the opportunity to see more patients. With the growing demand for chronic care services, the decreasing supply of providers and an aging population, the ability to see more patients is crucial.
Foster provider-to-provider collaboration
A lot of attention is placed on the patient-provider relationship for chronic care management, but telehealth encourages multispecialty provider collaboration as well.
Team-based participation is necessary with an aging population and a growing prevalence of long-term conditions. Telehealth makes it possible to solve complex problems, share decisions and agree on care plans regardless of one's location.
One study shared that “interprofessional practice has been a longstanding key quality indicator in healthcare delivery to enhance patient outcomes and work satisfaction across diverse settings.”
Then, a systematic review mentioned that team interventions positively affect performance outcomes, such as patient safety and effectiveness. With the healthcare industry transitioning to value-based care, organizations should embrace telehealth delivery to help meet measures that rely on care coordination.
Provider-to-provider telehealth can be delivered via phone calls, video meetings and asynchronous communication. Some examples may include:
A nurse shares a patient's blood pressure results via chat with a patient’s primary care physician.
A rheumatologist calls a dermatologist regarding skin changes in one of their patients.
A stroke specialist at one facility discusses how to transfer a patient to another location for more specialized care.
Pharmacists send recommendations about medications to a patient's provider through secure email.
Multidisciplinary provider teams complete virtual rounds regarding home-based patients.
Physical therapists send a message to a geriatric medicine specialist via a patient portal about a patient’s change in functional health.
Utilize asynchronous telehealth for follow-ups and check-ins
When most people think of telehealth, they think about synchronous visits. However, asynchronous delivery, or store-and-forward, can be just as advantageous.. For clarity, this telehealth approach involves transmitting data, like images or text, that can be interpreted “offline”.
It’s important to clarify that not all interactions require real-time interaction to be considered effective. Research demonstrates that async care can effectively prescribe medications, diagnose and provide timely care.
Some examples of this form of telehealth includes:
Patients completing a symptom or intake questionnaire.
Texting or emailing between providers and patients
Sending pre-recorded diet and exercise videos to those with diabetes.
A patient emailing an image of a new rash to their PCP following a medication change.
Provider communicating lab results via patient portal.
In a small study involving 95 patients, researchers evaluated the impact of a fully web-based clinic for hypertension and diabetes over 12 months. The platform leveraged asynchronous care, such as physician review and prescribing. Participants experienced improved Hba1c levels and better blood pressure control.
Researchers noted that asynchronous models decreased costs while boosting efficiency and access due to the flexibility of prescriber availability.
Pair CCM with remote patient monitoring (RPM) for more timely interventions
Remote patient monitoring (RPM), sometimes called telemonitoring, is gaining tremendous popularity for its real-time data collection. This telehealth method lets health practitioners obtain real-time information on patients' physiological parameters, such as weight, heart rates, blood glucose levels and more. This makes managing health issues, especially those related to chronic conditions, easier.
RPM pairs well with chronic care management, allowing providers to continue checking on their patients upon release to home or other facilities. It has been shown to reduce hospital admissions and visits, allowing medical resources to be used more effectively.
Examples of data supporting RPM use
Data also supports the effect of RPMs on chronic care maintenance. For instance, researchers shared in a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis that telemonitoring improved fasting blood glucose and HbA1c indexes. They also provided an example of RPM with team-based management for patients with diabetes, noting that it enhanced glucose levels after 24-week and 52-week interventions.
Even in assessing RPM use for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a study documented high adherence, and participants valued the patient-centered approach.
Some examples of remote patient monitoring for chronic care management include:
Providers monitoring the pulse oximeter status of patients with lung disorders
A weight loss specialist utilizing smart scales to capture the weight of patients in a GLP-1 program
Sleep medicine professionals collecting and reviewing patients' sleep activity
A nurse evaluating an RPM blood pressure monitor
Improve chronic care management with telehealth
Now that we’ve discussed the various ways telehealth can be used to manage chronic illnesses, it’s time to consider how your organization can implement it.
The overarching goal of chronic care management is to improve one's quality of life and slow disease progress. Telehealth, whether it’s remote appointments, sending messages via the patient portal, or monitoring one’s glucose levels, makes that goal achievable.
Virtual care is the key to tackling long-term care challenges, and OpenLoop is the partner that makes implementing it simpler and faster.. Pairing our white-label infrastructure solutions and nationwide provider coverage with your top-tier offerings will make you stand out as an industry leader and improve patient outcomes.
Interested in learning more? Get in touch here!
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