From McKinsey & Company (June 11, 2020):
For the past 10 to 15 years, virtual health has been heralded as the next disrupter in the delivery of care, but there has been minimal uptick in adoption. The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing against structural barriers that had previously slowed health system investment in integrated virtual health applications.
COMMENTARY
Health Providers, especially the systems and networks, are the key to “next Generation” health care delivery. They are the main target audience of this article. If they invest in Telehealth, and make it easy and integrated, Patients will adopt Telemedicine happily.
The article Classified the elements of the future Telehealth, citing Telemedicine As the digital equivalent of the traditional Doctor-Patient verbal Interaction. They call this “synchronized” Telehealth.
Everything else, the myriads of other activities that comprise the totality of health care, is labeled something else. The Patient is involved in some of these activities, such as being monitored by a device at home, being the recipient of her records or medications, or even interfacing with technology as in “E-triage”.
Many interactions such as Doctor-Doctor, Doctor-Pharmacist, Doctor-insurance, Rounding, To mention a few, take place away from the Patients’ sphere. The REAL change will be when these are Eventually taken over by Computers, aided by Artificial intelligence.
In the meanwhile, Providers should invest in Technology to remain competitive. Also, it goes without saying, Patients should invest in Knowledge and Technology if they are to get the most out of this new Reality.
Doctors Without Waiting Rooms 