Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

What should executives keep in mind as they consider the expanding acceptance of and preference for virtual care delivery among consumers and payers? There are three big considerations that are outlined in Virtual Care Demand Could Test Care Providers’ Health IT Infrastructure In 2015, a piece by Harry Wang, the lead analyst for Parks Associates’ digital health research program, that appeared recently in Computerworld.

  1. The video revolution has its challenges – While traditional patient portals are probably fine, according to Mr. Wang, interactive communications services using video could be a potential area for trouble. The issues to consider include video player configurations and related software challenges, system capabilities and reliability for increased video traffic, and security.
  2. Real-time health information exchange is the expectation – Virtual care increases timely access to professionals, and consumers expect their medical records to keep up. Increasing use of telehealth will highlight the problems of interoperability (see Net Neutrality Is About More Than Streaming Movies and Interoperable Electronic Data Exchange Is Non-Existent Among Long-Term Care Provider Organizations). Consumers expect timely access to past health records, lab tests, and diagnostic imaging.
  3. Dealing with all that remote monitoring data – The most advanced of virtual care systems leverage consumer self-monitoring capabilities, and integrated them into virtual care sessions. It sounds quite simple, but how such data will be fed into electronic health records (EHR) without delay and then compared with similar historical data is no simple matter. And, it is critically important to both the consumer experience and realizing cost savings from e-health.

From the article "The Uphill Climb To Virtual Care" by Monica E. Oss.

Previously In The News

Research: 45% of US internet homes watch FAST services

Parks Associates reports that 89 per cent of US internet households subscribe to at least one streaming service and 45 per cent watch free ad-based services. Additionally, the firm reports that...

More Cameras, Fewer Fears as Survey Reveals the New Face of Home Security

According to Parks Associates research covered by SecurityInfoWatch, pro monitoring is also gaining traction as households seek hybrid solutions that balance automation with human verification, br...

Smart Home DIY: Nearly a Third of Homeowners Report Turning to Pros after First Attempts

According to Parks Associates research, 29% of consumers ultimately turn to professionals for help, even if they initially attempt self-installation. Despite DIY smart home products often being...

Survey: 8% of those purchasing a smart speaker in the past six months chose Apple’s HomePod

Parks Associates’ recently released Consumer Insights Dashboard: Tech Ecosystem Dashboard reveals 51% of US Internet households report owning a smart speaker and/or display.  Among those househ...