Providing market intelligence for more than 35 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

How to Build Lifelong Residential Customers

New data from Parks Associates reveals that the more smart home devices a user has, the more likely they are to own a security system. In her June “The Smart Money” column in Security Business, Parks...

Smart Home Pricing Strategies and Financing Solutions

According to Parks Associates, 31% of U.S. households have a smart home security system. As more products and manufacturers enter the market and it becomes more competitive, product pricing also needs...

The Smart Money: MDU Technology Overview

Parks Associates' recent custom research with SKBM reveals the impact of new tech in multifamily housing. The impact of these solutions can vary widely, depending on the age of the building and the...

Experts Say These Smart Security Upgrades Add the Most Home Value

When it comes to the smart home, security devices are very high on the list of things buyers want: A Security.org study showed that 78% of homebuyers would be willing to pay more for a home that comes...