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When the COVID-19 pandemic first happened, the telehealth boom felt like a welcome silver lining during a challenging and dark time, with patients benefitting from the convenient, low-cost, and not to mention safer option of booking a virtual appointment as opposed to visiting a clinician in-person.
With about 25% of patients still using telehealth in 2023, and usage projected to consistently climb year over year, it’s clear that this mode of care delivery is here to stay (AMA, 2023). But the value that virtual care delivers in the post-pandemic era goes much deeper than cost or convenience. We’ve taken stock of five not-so-obvious benefits that have also risen to the surface over the past few years that demonstrate all that telehealth has to offer.
1. Stay healthy without staying home
Virtual care isn’t just a convenient way to receive healthcare at home—it’s also a game-changer for staying connected to quality care while traveling or on-the-go. At Vori Health, having nationwide access to a physician-led care team resonates for many of our members—particularly our Medicare Advantage patients, who often reside in multiple locations throughout the year or travel frequently to visit other family members, as well as our employee members who are often traveling across state lines for work.
For Jon R., a 60-year-old fiber optic ground line foreman who used Vori Health to overcome severe back pain, virtual care made all the difference. Jon travels for his job for long stretches, taking jobs from state to state, often living in temporary housing for months at a time. Virtual visits and AI-guided exercises allowed Jon to stick with his care plan while traveling, and he is now back to living pain-free. “The convenience of Vori was everything,” says Jon. “I don’t know how else I would have recovered.”
“The convenience of Vori was everything,” says Jon, a Vori Health member. “I don’t know how else I would have recovered.”
2. When collaboration counts: multiple clinicians, one goal
At Vori Health, virtual visits also enabled us to innovate what is often a fragmented and frustrating care experience for patients dealing with back and joint pain. Traditionally, in order to receive comprehensive care, MSK patients must often see multiple clinicians in different locations. To streamline the process, we developed a unique initial clinical evaluation in which a physician or nurse practitioner and physical therapist evaluate a patient together in one convenient virtual visit.
This highly collaborative approach simplifies the care experience, allowing the patient to provide just one health history and the clinicians to perform one physical examination together. This visit results in the patient receiving a medical diagnosis from the physician or nurse practitioner as well as a functional diagnosis from the physical therapist. This collaborative visit results in greater efficiency in patient care, as well as a treatment plan that is more aligned with the patient’s values and goals. Patients can ask clarifying questions to the specific clinician who can answer, versus relying on one or the other to pass along information. Everyone leaves the visit on the same page, with less room for important takeaways to be lost in translation.
In addition to boosting patient and clinician satisfaction, these integrated virtual visits also promote health literacy. In a survey of Vori members experiencing this collaborative visit, 92% percent report increased confidence in understanding their medical condition and how to start treating it.
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3. Fewer disruptions, better evaluations
Virtual visits are not only more convenient—but potentially a more focused and higher-quality care experience. Studies show that interruptions commonly occur in a variety of in-person healthcare settings, ranging from phone calls to other clinicians’ requests. These disruptions not only hinder communication between a patient and a clinician but may also negatively impact diagnostic decision making, in addition to the well-being of clinical decision makers (Sloane, 2023).
With virtual visits, however, the distractions and interruptions of a busy clinic are (virtually) gone—it’s just the clinician and the patient in a screen-to-screen setting that demands more focus and attention from both parties. Dr. Mary O’Connor, Vori Health’s Chief Medical officer reports that, as a result, our clinicians feel more satisfied with the visit experience and the quality of care they are delivering. “Our clinicians repeatedly say these are some of the best evaluations they’ve performed in their careers,” Dr. O’Connor says.
4. A heightened sense of listening
We have also found the virtual environment facilitates overcommunication, resulting in better history-taking and more shared decision-making between patients and clinicians. For example, without the natural nonverbal cues that occur during in-person interactions, Vori clinicians often pause in between speaking. This aligns with the way clinicians at Vori develop care plans, which are focused on “What matters to you?” —not just “What is the matter with you?”
As a result, patients leave virtual visits feeling more seen and heard. "I appreciate that you all really listen,” recalls one Vori member. “It’s so different from my other providers. I feel like I have a rapport with the providers at Vori online that I don't have with my other providers in real life."
"I feel like I have a rapport with the providers at Vori online that I don't have with my other providers in real life," says a Vori member.
5. A doctor’s eye on your home’s hidden risks
In addition to producing a more convenient and focused environment, telehealth allows clinicians to benefit from the increased visibility into a patient’s home setting, providing a window into an individual’s situation that goes much deeper than the quick back-and-forth that usually takes place in the exam room.
This is especially important for assessing fall risk in senior populations, or for any member with mobility challenges. During virtual visits, doctors can observe elements of the home—such as cluttered walkways, loose rugs, or poorly lit areas—that may increase the risk of falls. These real-time observations enable healthcare providers to offer tailored advice on modifying the home to reduce hazards and prevent future falls. By bridging clinical care with the realities of a patient’s living space, virtual care not only supports immediate health needs but also promotes proactive measures for long-term safety and well-being. "Patients feel more comfortable in their own environment, and we get a clearer picture that allows us to provide better care," says Dr. Carolyn Chudy, Lead Physician at Vori Health. "We can also help patients find places around their house or office to conveniently do their exercises."
"Patients feel more comfortable in their own environment, and we get a clearer picture that allows us to provide better care," says Dr. Carolyn Chudy, Lead Physician at Vori Health.
Tap into all the benefits of telehealth & more
At Vori Health, our whole-person MSK care programs center around supporting each patient throughout their journey. We provide the necessary medical guidance and holistic care needed to optimize every patient’s outcomes—and our integrated telehealth services have enabled us to further revolutionize how back, neck, and joint pain is treated.
Want to learn more? Schedule a demo to further explore Vori Health’s physician-led, whole-person MSK care.
REFERENCES
- AMA, 2023: What to expect in telehealth in 2023? Here are 5 predictions. AMA.
- AMA, 2024: Permanently expanding telehealth access will improve public health. AMA.
- Algahtani, 2022: Alqahtani S, Alraqi A, Alageel A. Physicians’ satisfaction with telehealth services among family physicians in Cluster 1 hospitals. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2022;11(9):5563–5568.
- Cleveland Clinic, 2022: White Coat Syndrome. Cleveland Clinic.
- Sloane, 2023: Sloane E. et al. Managing Interruptions to Improve Diagnostic Decision-Making: Strategies and Recommended Research Agenda. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2023;38(6):1526–1531.
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