The year 2020, also known as the “year of the pandemic,” had been remarkable in terms of the extent and degree of change taking place around us, in all industries, regions, and organizations.nnAs COVID-19 had a bad impact on the health care system in 2020, which is why there is a huge opportunity for payers and stakeholders to reconstruct the health care system into a more effective and consumer-driven system in 2021.nnTelemedicine has taken a dramatic leap forward in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as organizations have looked for rapid implementation so that they can continue providing services among isolated groups and social distancing protocols.nnWhile the move from in-person visits to virtual care – both by phone and video – provides several conveniences, there are unavoidable difficulties for health systems, and challenges continue to arise as telemedicine becomes more prevalent.nnBefore understanding the challenges, let’s know about virtual care!n

What Is Virtual Care?

nNow many health care providers and health care systems are looking for ways to increase access to care for their patients along with a decrease in overall health care costs, which has made the health care industry grow at a faster pace. nnIt is fortunate that digital technology acts as a means for health care providers to communicate with their patients while breaking down barriers that can hinder a patient’s access to care. This is how virtual care is an important role.nnTo define virtual care- “it is the comprehensive term that consists of the ways that most healthcare providers are using to interact with their patients remotely” one of them is Telemedicine. Providers typically use video, audio and real-time instant messaging to communicate remotely with their patients.”nnMoreover, there are many benefits of telehealth and virtual care which are comprehended because of the pandemic, but it still contains many difficulties. As it has said in the report that there are a lot of difficulties in telehealth and patient experience of virtual care. Let’s understand them!n

Challenges of Virtual Care

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  Technology & Connectivity 

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nWi-Fi connectivity and different software with application platforms present technical difficulties. Even though laptops having basic hardware also don’t have enough sufficient video capabilities which will affect provider and patient communication. nnAlso, many patients who belong to remote areas don’t have access, affinity, or skills to use the virtual platforms and medical groups also don’t have enough time to train patients that required for virtual treatment. n

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  Correct Use

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nIt is important for healthcare providers and patients to use virtual care appropriately. There are certain conditions that might not safe and appropriate for virtual care. nnFor Example – Metabolic conditions and behavioral health may be appropriate for virtual visits but exam dependents are not fit for this. n

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  Ongoing Personal Connection

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n The third challenge is a personal connection. Healthcare providers are finding ways to make a personal connection with patients especially for those who are using digital health as use cases tend to be one-off visits (for acute needs like a sore throat) or care that’s not connected to a patient’s usual doctor (such as mental health).n

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   Reimbursement

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nMost of the providers are facing transition problems to virtual care and telehealth. Due to pandemic, virtual care and telehealth reimbursement arguments are highlighted. nnIt is important for health insurance companies to learn that provider satisfaction is necessary for strong virtual care. Their primary concern is to get paid faster for the services they provided. Whether it is face-to-face visits or virtual care, reimbursements are essential. nnIf you need help then outsource your virtual care billing to our safe hands. The dedicated team at Med-Miles will assist you in all virtual Care billing requirements and help you to get paid faster. Call our experts at +1 888-598-9181.n

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  Limitations For Physical Examination 

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nIn today’s technological world, many providers and patients have access to high-quality video conferencing but it is not easy for some providers to diagnose or treat a patient virtually. nnMoreover, the conditions that are not serious can be effective for virtual care. In some conditions, providers may not feel comfortable conducting an examination over video chat. This is the reason patients prefer in-person visits over virtual appointments. n

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  Awareness About Virtual Care

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nSome of the virtual care services such as chronic patient monitoring, therapy appointment, and post-operative care are specifically run on the software and hardware which are more costly that requires additional IT training, more staff, and purchase of different servers and supplementary equipment. nnPatients who are not computer-literate or don’t have a budget to purchase equipment and software have faced many problems in virtual care treatment. For this reason, it is necessary to aware of the patients of all the required needs of virtual treatment. So, he/she can plan accordingly. nnWant to know more about virtual care? Contact Med-Miles LLC!