The Benefits of Using Telehealth For Your HRT Program
Decreased overhead costs, greater scalability, and more.
Did you know that nearly 80% of menopausal or postmenopausal women in the United States experience hot flashes? Or that almost 70% and 57% of women are affected by night sweats and difficulty sleeping, respectively?
While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help manage these bothersome symptoms, many women feel insecure about their condition, which can prevent them from seeking treatment.. Fortunately, flexible solutions like virtual hormone therapy make high-quality yet discreet treatments possible.
Below, we’ll discuss the 5 benefits of using telehealth for your HRT program and how this scalable and profitable delivery model can transform how you do business.
1. There is a clear demand for hormone replacement therapy
With nearly 2 million women entering menopause yearly and the average life expectancy sitting at 80.2 years for females, a treatment for menopause symptoms is needed. Based on that information alone, women can expect to spend almost ⅓ of their lives in menopause.
In addition, it’s important to keep in mind that women of all ages can suffer from estrogen deficiency. For example, those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects 5 to 6 million women, may deal with low estrogen.
The following conditions and situations can also lead to hormonal imbalances:
Hypothyroidism
Autoimmune diseases
Pituitary gland disorders
Chronic kidney disease
2. Telehealth grants access to more patients
The use of technology to deliver healthcare allows organizations to interact with customers who would typically be out of their reach.
Virtual care removes common access barriers
Brick-and-mortar HRT clinics can only connect with people locally, and if several potential customers face transportation challenges, they can’t capture that business. They also miss out on customers with work and childcare commitments who cannot prioritize medical appointments.
However, today, there’s a way to easily meet customers where they’re at.
According to Pew Research, over 90% of individuals in the U.S. have a smartphone, which is often all that’s needed for telehealth. Virtual hormone therapy makes it feasible for them to communicate via video, audio-only, AI chatbots or text.
Telehealth addresses attitudinal barriers to care, too
In a 2023 qualitative study, researchers sought to understand the obstructions women face when seeking treatment for menopausal symptoms. They discovered that many delayed care due to:
Believing that their symptoms were just a normal part of aging
A lack of understanding regarding the wide range of menopausal symptoms
Having prior negative experiences when seeking treatment
Embarrassment
Stigma
These reasons ultimately result in menopausal symptoms being undertreated and underreported, but telehealth can aid with that.
Discreet and Convenient Treatment
With virtual hormone therapy, patients don’t have to muster up the courage to walk into an in-person HRT clinic.
Instead, telehealth allows them to remain discreet and in the comfort of their homes while meeting with a specialized HRT provider.
3. Patients like the convenience of telehealth
Virtual hormone therapy comes with a sizable target market and presents fewer patient barriers, but that’s not all. Based on a J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study, 94% of patients who received medical services via telehealth said they would “definitely” or “probably” use it again in the future.
This same survey also found that:
80% favored telehealth for prescription refills
72% preferred telehealth for reviewing medication options
71% are more partial to telehealth for discussing test results
Patients enjoying the convenience of telehealth are a recipe for repeat engagement, driving better outcomes. This model supports scalable growth opportunities, as hormone replacement therapy extends beyond the initial consultation.
4. Reduced overhead costs but more positive outcomes
Operating a remote HRT program can be more cost-effective than brick-and-mortar clinics, but quality isn’t sacrificed in the process.
With virtual care, businesses don’t have to factor in rent, utilities and office supplies. Providers can treat additional patients without hiring staff or expanding their offices. Telehealth also automates many tasks, like patient intake forms and appointment reminders, allowing providers to operate more efficiently.
As one study indicated, “Telemedicine saves both the patient's and the health care provider time and the cost of the treatment. Its fast and advantageous characteristics […] streamline the workflow of hospitals and clinics.”
Telehealth also decreases appointment no-show rates so companies can expect fewer financial losses. Its convenience simultaneously boosts patient engagement, leading to improved healthcare outcomes.
5. Reduced time to market for HRT programs
A solid telehealth infrastructure allows companies to streamline the development process and quickly bring a service to market. Partnering with a digital health vendor like OpenLoop lowers buy-in and liability. You’re also able to bypass common issues that delay in-clinic launches like:
Securing a brick-and-mortar location
Navigating provider shortages, especially among specialists
Legal and regulatory uncertainties
Leaders can worry less about the back-end operations surrounding telehealth by simply aligning with an experienced vendor.
Launch and scale your HRT program with OpenLoop
While the benefits of offering a virtual hormone therapy program are clear, navigating the process alone can be daunting. OpenLoop offers the complete back-end infrastructure needed to launch and scale your virtual care program fast and white-labeled to your brand standards.
Our full suite of infrastructure solutions include:
Digital health is the future of healthcare, and organizations looking to stay competitive should embrace its benefits.. So, if you’re ready to bridge the access to care gap while also achieving a superior return on investment, contact us today!