Even though telehealth appointments have continued to decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, Cleveland Clinic said it is still betting on virtual care to lower costs and to reach patients who are more comfortable accessing care online, Ideastream Public Media reported July 17.
Cleveland Clinic recently announced that its new $80 million hospital in Mentor, Ohio, will have telehealth technology installed in inpatient and outpatient rooms, which will allow patients to consult remotely with physicians from different locations.
The hospital said it continues expanding its reach with telehealth as it sees its potential to "lower costs and decrease how often patients are using healthcare resources in the future," the health system told the publication.
In addition, telehealth, according to Cleveland Clinic, helps the organization tap markets outside of their hospitals, especially leveraging it to reach its Generation Z and millennial patients.
Millennials and those in Gen Z are particularly comfortable accessing their medical records online and talking with their physician remotely, the health system told the publication.
Telehealth has also provided Cleveland Clinic physicians and behavioral health workers more flexibility, which is especially important given the shortage of the latter, according to the health system.