19 SEPTEMBER - 2023By Mitchell Fong, Vice President of Virtual Care, Renown HealthWhat are some of the pain points present in today's virtual care segment of the healthcare industry?There are many aspects to consider while discussing the virtual care industry and its challenges. While quality and efficient, seamless adoption in clinical workflow are the major factors, sustainability and value are also of equal importance. As the healthcare industry shifts from a fee-for-service model to a value-based model of payment, there is a different value proposition regarding how the virtual care industry proactively delivers care to reduce the cost and drive more patients to an outpatient setting than an acute one. We focus on ensuring quality through technology to deliver meaningful, financially profitable care and add value to the system.It is of utmost importance that healthcare institutions create a better atmosphere with better access and higher-quality care for the patients and ease the burden on the workforce. But more often than not, the healthcare system is shorthanded. To top it off, the available clinicians hadn't had much experience with technology-assisted medical procedures or telemedicine as they didn't have access to them when they were in medical school. Renown Health has a comprehensive training program to not only onboard and implement the technology in such a way that it seamlessly integrates into the workflow but augments it to make it more efficient. The program ensures the clinical team and the patients receive appropriate support, which is crucial to driving success.The final major issue confronting today's virtual care segment of the healthcare industry is timeliness. With the aid of technology, things move faster than they used to with manual labor. At Renown Health, we strive to create the optimal healthcare ecosystem with the limited available resources and continue to make healthcare an interesting and exciting area for individuals to work in.According to you, what kind of impact did the pandemic have on the virtual care industry, and what are some of the newer things that came in as part of it?The pandemic effectively eliminated the stigma associated with technology and made space for innovation as social distancing compelled adoption. As technology took over the industry, there was a significant reduction in the workforce requirement, which allowed healthcare institutions to see patients from a capacity standpoint. There have been limitations around how we use technology effectively in the virtual care industry.Virtual care shaped itself well due to the extended pandemic over the last 12­18 months. There have been many flashes in the pan during this period, like new products and pilots that didn't have the expected outcome or value the developers desired. All of which pointed toward the need to focus on the roots of quality and sustainability. The major impact of sustainability is reimbursement, as in what kinds of services can be reimbursed with the evolution of wearable devices. Outcomes are better when you're delivering care sustainably from a reimbursement standpoint.The rules relating to it continue to evolve as the virtual care industry continues to grow. Previously, reimbursement for a virtual visit to a patient wasn't possible when they were at home, but now it is. We are also considering augmented reality and performing some physical reality virtually using data and technology. When we look at the workforce, we're particularly interested in how we can augment it using AI to reduce bedside burnout for nurses and create new roles for them. Virtual nursing combined with AI and data science helps to a great extent when it comes to the use of vitals and wearable devices or ambient monitoring devices. The pandemic, as it continues, has brought about significant development in the virtual care field.How would you say your expertise and experience helped Renown Health navigate the industry's struggles and contributed to its growth?I have a background in public health with a focus on epidemiology and healthcare technology, as well as years of experience in the health system from the hospital, medical group, and insurance sides in data analytics and strategic planning. I was able to bring together the experiences of data analytics, finance, population health, and public health to consider where technology can truly make a difference and how to facilitate healthcare by leveraging Redefining Healthcare through technologyCXO INSIGHTSMitchell Fong
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