From the power struggle of regulatory telehealth policy to the rise of automation technology, Amwell President and co-CEO Roy Schoenberg, MD, shared his predictions on the future of telehealth with Politico July 13.
Dr. Schoenberg told the news outlet that providers and payers are beginning to realize that telehealth is more than just videoconferencing, recognizing its potential to shape and change behavior.
"Everybody is coming to terms with the fact that just like online retail, telehealth is a distribution arm. You can reach customers differently. You can manage their conditions differently, you can motivate them to become a more active party in their own health care," he told Politico.
He said the biggest obstacles that the industry faces are regulatory, specifically state licensure issues. Dr. Schoenberg also questioned which political leaders or lobbies would have enough power to make sure telehealth can be distributed across state lines, saying "it's inevitable that's what's going to be the biggest war over the next couple of years."
He also predicts that telehealth will prevail from both established medical organizations and online brokers, but that standalone telehealth solutions will not be as successful given they lack credibility that many patients require.
"There's going to be telehealth that is extended by a credible known entity like Cleveland Clinic or UnitedHealth Group or CVS Health, which would be their online arm. You're also going to see telehealth solutions that broker availability of different services between brands. Both of those are going to prevail."
In regards to automated technology, he believes that tech that helps patients manage their conditions will be much more successful than tech that tries to replace healthcare providers.