Digital Transformation & Insights
Even though the pandemic is seemingly over and life is returning back to normal, the healthcare industry has just begun its journey toward virtualization and telehealth. The number of online healthcare visits has soared in the past couple of years. According to a report from American Telemedicine Association (ATA), the number of virtual visitors increased by a whopping 5000%. If before the pandemic just 1% of doctor’s appointments were held virtually, now over 50% of all healthcare-related visits are performed virtually.
This trend will definitely impact the way services are delivered in the post-COVID era. Even if the rate of telehealth adoption remained constant in recent months, it’s still way higher than it was before the pandemic. Telehealth is definitely here to stay. Thus, as a healthcare provider, it is important to be aware of the two main models in telehealth adoption: SaaS or custom-based.
Making the Right Choice – SaaS or Custom-Based Telehealth Solution?
SaaS is a common business model in which clinics and healthcare providers can work with a licensed tool that is
already used by many other competitors as well. While the user can own specific aspects related to patient data or extra features, the core module is owned and operated by the provider. Some of the most popular telemedicine software in 2022 are Klara, Amwell, iCliniq, OnCall Health, Spruce, and TheraNow.
The SaaS model is so widespread nowadays because it offers the benefits of efficiency and innovation of the service without having to pay for building or hosting the tool. On the other hand, this model lacks serious benefits, such as customization or personalization which are vital for delivering an outstanding Patient Experience. Clinics that put a huge emphasis on providing high-quality bespoke services for their patients are orienting towards telehealth custom-based platforms.
A custom software solution, on the other hand, represents a powerful tool that is uniquely designed for your own business needs. It is completely owned by you and can be further customized to accommodate branding elements, additional features, and improvements. This tool can take numerous forms, such as a website, mobile app, CRM system, or an entire ecosystem of applications.
Even if this solution is considered to be more expensive than a SaaS platform, it’s something worth investing your time and money in. Once the implementation is completed, you’ll have full access to it and full ownership rights. Medium and large clinics could benefit the most from a custom-based telehealth platform because it enables them to automate tasks and switch from a standard way of working to a more “customized” one.
A bespoke telemedicine solution also comes with a wide range of perks for clinics and healthcare institutions. First, it enables them to ramp up their processes and business outcomes by easily adding new functionalities and by leveraging the utmost level of technology available. Second, since doctors are not experts in IT, they want an easy-to-use solution that can help them tackle any tech challenges related to meetings and sessions. A custom-based solution can do just that. In other words, the staff can easily utilize the solution without wasting valuable time trying to figure out how certain features work, plus they get constant support from the dedicated maintenance team.
A custom-based solution also allows clinics to empower their staff by providing a superior experience for their clinicians, helping them to increase their performance, better manage their schedule, and work in a safer environment, while also offering them the right tools and technology to do so. Last but not least, a bespoke telehealth solution can enable clinics to successfully resolve a large number of consultations, thus increasing productivity within the practice, and supporting your physicians in better focusing on their work.
At Tremend, we’ve conducted a personalized project regarding telemedicine software adoption. Among the results, our research showed that an average healthcare provider can recoup their initial investment within a period of three years since implementing the solution. This period also includes ongoing maintenance.
Discover how to extend the reach of your clinic using Tremend’s bespoke solution.
Why Both Patients and Doctors Are Embracing Telehealth?
First off, many services that doctors believed initially they could only provide physically can be provided online.
Second, the rate of patient adoption is extremely high, because people realized that they can save both time and money by having a consultation from the comfort of their homes. Additionally, people in rural areas were able to easily access quality healthcare services without having to rely on transportation.
Due to the privacy-related risks, a growing number of people have begun to choose telehealth services over face-to-face visits. That’s because many patients with certain conditions and sensitive health issues have found it much easier to undergo virtual consultations than to expose themselves.
As far as doctors are concerned, a recent survey revealed that the vast majority of physicians intend to keep using telehealth even after the pandemic is over. Some of the reasons for this demand for telehealth among doctors include:
- The ability to attract and retain new patients: most doctors consider that virtual visits are perfect for ensuring patient-centric care. Additionally, by providing easy and timely access to healthcare, doctors believe that telehealth has the potential to dramatically improve patient outcomes.
- An improvement of work-life balance: the vast majority of doctors and therapists agree that telehealth gives them a more flexible schedule, with more time for themselves, and helps reduce burnout.
- Be able to handle a wider variety of minor health issues: because virtual visits reduce the time spent on in-person visits, doctors can use their time wiser. They can tackle a wider range of health-related issues that are minor via telehealth, and save time for the more severe cases during in-person consultations.
- Reduce the no-show rate and promotes regional expansion: telehealth has the potential to increase the level of patient commitment through pre-paid appointments, session reminders, and small fee-charging in case of no-shows. Additionally, it enables clinics to expand into new markets and enlarge their horizons
The Adoption of Telehealth for Clinics
Medical practices such as clinics or hospitals can win big by getting their own telehealth solution. First off, they can reduce the number of patient no-shows. This enables them to provide better services to their customers and increase revenues. Second, they can reduce hospital readmission by continually monitoring a patient’s health state from afar, and tracking vitals long after he or she has been discharged from the hospital.
So What should you Choose in Terms of a Telehealth Platform?
We can conclude that the custom-based telehealth platform model brings more long-term benefits for all stakeholders, including the clinic, the staff, and the patients. This model is especially good for medium and large clinics, which can use its bespoke features to successfully tackle a large number of consultations and complex systems. As a clinic, you want to stand ahead of the curve and embrace this new trend that is already being preferred by both patients and doctors.
To learn more about how Tremened can help you with a custom-based telehealth tool that caters to your unique needs, do not hesitate to contact us at hello@tremend.com.
