A s the novel Coronavirus sweeps the world, the healthcare continuum is at a greater pressure to take swift and bold actions to stop the spread. Healthcare leaders are constantly innovating to provide better care — yet at a safer environment for patients and care providers alike. With social distancing and shelter-in-place considered amongst the most significant measures to combat the Coronavirus impact, care providers are taking on telehealth services and remote patient monitoring to provide virtual care to patients at scale. As Telemedicine gains the spotlight in the current epidemic scenario, here’s a deep dive into the latest updates on telehealth, every healthcare provider needs to know.

According to the Global Market Insights research firm, the Telehealth services market size was a staggering $45 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.3% from 2020 to 2026. Telehealth services might further increase with the sudden spike in the adoption of telehealth platforms in the pandemic situation. Several initiatives have been taken by the government to facilitate providers in delivering better care at this time of global crisis. The federal government has relaxed HIPAA policies to provide Medicare reimbursements for telehealth services offered through Telehealth platforms.

The World Health Organization recommends telemedicine platforms and remote patient monitoring services to enable primary care like first visit, routine health check-ups and more. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has developed a $200 million program to facilitate telehealth services and devices for care providers. This allows hospitals and practices to get coverage of up to $1 million for new medical devices.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has also expanded telehealth benefits during the outbreak. This allows beneficiaries to avail a broader range of telehealth services covered under the Medicare and Medicaid policies. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced federal healthcare programs – providing flexible options to either reduce or completely waive-off cost-sharing for telehealth services.

Three Main ways Telehealth Services help during COVID-19

• Remote patient monitoring to virtually address the concerns of patients without them having to visit the doctor’s office
• Tele-triaging to offer virtual care to patients with minor symptoms like cold and flu — who don’t require medical intervention
• Reduce potential risks of care providers offering remote patient care and preventing potentially infected patients from transmitting the virus to mass populations

The Time to Act is now

It is a significant phase when the world is fighting together – while keeping a distance; a crucial time when healthcare providers need to deliver the utmost care to patients – without compromising on their own health. And, we can’t think of a better option than telemedicine services to advance connectivity in a secure environment. Healthcare providers need to leverage the telehealth initiatives offered by the government and other private sectors – to stay connected and deliver uninterrupted care to their patients while staying away.

To learn more on how to harness the capabilities of telehealth platforms to accelerate remote patient monitoring services, get in touch with us

About SolvEdge

SolvEdge is a Healthcare exclusive IT services and solutions provider with a strong focus on patient engagement solutions and Revenue cycle services. Our flagship product, RippleCare offers a wide suite of patient engagement solutions that include telemedicine services, remote patient monitoring, pre and post-surgical care coordination platform, orthopedic and obstetrics patient management among many others. With healthcare as the niche area of expertise, SolvEdge caters to a broad network of clients including, Hospitals, Practices, Physicians and Payers, transforming millions of patients’ lives across the globe.