While telehealth usage has declined across the healthcare industry since its peak during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaiser Permanente's phone and video visit rates remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, Desiree Gandrup-Dupre, senior vice president of care delivery technology services, at the organization told Becker's.
According to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, telehealth utilization decreased nationwide and in all U.S. census regions in December 2023. National utilization dropped by 3.9%, from 5.1% of medical claim lines in November to 4.9% in December. But, Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser isn't seeing a decline.
In 2023, 30% of Kaiser's scheduled care visits were conducted via phone and video, compared to the industry average of only 13%-17%, Ms. Gandrup-Dupre said.
"A major differentiator of telehealth at Kaiser Permanente, and a key reason for its success, is that it's fully embedded in our care delivery," she said. "This creates a seamless experience for members and enables them to receive personalized care in whichever setting they choose. All patient care interactions, regardless of the care setting, are integrated with our electronic health record to provide coordinated care and help assure greater quality and safety during and after the visit."
When telehealth is provided in an integrated and personalized manner, according to Ms. Gandrup-Dupre, patients are more likely to have their needs met and to continue using telehealth in the future.
A study published Nov. 16 in JAMA Network Open, found that Kaiser's primary care telehealth visits have similar rates of follow-up care compared to in-person primary care visits.
"We have been a pioneer in using telehealth, starting in the late 1990s, and continue to enhance our telehealth capabilities and introduce new ways to deliver convenient, high-quality care," Ms. Gandrup-Dupre said. "For example, we responded to members' needs and expectations, and are now offering 24/7 access to virtual care, where members can easily access high-quality care by phone or video when they need it, day or night in most markets without an appointment."
According to Ms. Gandrup-Dupre, outside of Kaiser Permanente, telehealth is often delivered by third-party providers and treated as a separate, one-off product.
"This can result in variations in quality, cost and availability of services, creating a confusing and frustrating experience for patients," she said. "Fragmented telehealth models don't work, and health systems must adopt a coordinated approach to telehealth care to ensure patient needs are met."
For Ms. Ms. Gandrup-Dupre, she believes that the future of healthcare is likely to move away from the siloed approach of "in-person" versus "virtual" care and toward hybrid models that blend the two in clinically appropriate ways to meet patient needs.
"For example, we offer home-based remote patient monitoring programs, like virtual cardiac rehab, where patients receive much of their care in more convenient settings yet are still able to continue with in-person touch points," she said.