Telehealth visits are continuing at historical levels post-COVID, with convenience as the number one reason consumers use telehealth services. However, usage has dropped in 2022 over 2021. Now, 55% of US internet households report using telehealth, down from 64% in 2021, according to Parks Associates’ Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring: User Experience Study.

Families dominate the use of telehealth services. The research also reveals that 74% of US internet households with children at home have used telehealth services in the past 12 months versus 23% of those without children at home.

The research finds also that independent practitioners’ share of the telehealth market is declining. Many independent practitioners report that they lack the operational capacity to offer sufficient telehealth services and may additionally struggle with offering HIPAA-compliant services that integrate with their EMR systems.

• Share of other channels has remained largely consistent YoY, although overall use has declined slightly.
• Nationwide telehealth services have seen the least impact from the telehealth market slowdown.
• Demographics continue to be a key factor in determining channel selection, with older consumers much more likely to choose local physicians.

While delivery of care and communication dramatically changed during the pandemic, the payment method for telehealth visits has largely stayed the same. More than half report that the service was completely covered by insurance since 2020.

As new healthcare models emerge, independent practitioners and small-to-midsize providers face an uncertain market about regulations and macro-economic factors. Companies must be willing to embrace a variety of business models to support this market, including new partnerships, reimbursement plans, and leveraging technology to optimize impact on operations.

Parks Associates addressed the future of healthcare last week at its virtual Connected Health Summit featuring analyst and consumer data insights from our team, along with leaders sharing their experience on the evolution of care delivery.

“In the rapidly evolving remote patient monitoring and telemedicine business, technology providers require easy access to a wide range of patient data,” said Jörn Watzke, Senior Director, Garmin Health. “Garmin smartwatches and fitness trackers offer an invaluable yet affordable tool in this growing marketplace by collecting 24/7 sensor data and biometrics such as heart rate, heart rate variability, stress, respiration, and sleep analytics. We are excited to discuss innovations and share insights into this fast-moving industry with leading experts at the 2022 Connected Health Summit.”

“As we move to our next phase of healthcare, we must support wellness care,” said Iris Berman, VP, Telehealth Services, Northwell Health. “The old way of providing care is not sustainable. Technology extensions such as telehealth and remote monitoring are going to be the great connectors to allow all of us to responsibly manage our populations in the comfort of their own homes and neighborhoods. The healthcare consumer is the owner and manager and should progressively and actively engage in a more collaborative environment with their providers through the use of technology.”

"Connected Health Summit is renowned for bringing together industry thought leaders to share innovations and insights to drive digital healthcare into the future. I am excited to join others this year, exploring the evolved connected health space and how it rapidly adapted to meet unique cases,” said Adam Pellegrini, CEO & Co-founder, Jasper Health.

“The rapid shift to digital means that, as consumers, we now expect seamless, convenient, and fully connected user experiences across all aspects of our lives. In healthcare, this means a growing demand for faster, simpler, and more intuitive ways to seek and access care. However, meeting expectations around the user experience won’t be enough by itself; healthcare providers need to embrace technological solutions that will truly empower patients and give them more insight and control over their own health than ever before,” said Jeff Cutler, Chief Commercial Officer, Ada Health. “Technological innovation, combined with shifting user expectations, is making this a real turning point for our industry. I look forward to tackling this topic, and more, at the Connected Health Summit.”

“Connected Health Summit is always a diverse group of participants,” said Josh Locke, VP, Sales, Essence Group. “As a long-time speaker, I am always excited for the innovative topics and their approach to relevant discussion. I don’t know of a more active association in healthcare technology.”

“Continuous remote patient monitoring will be the catalyst that transforms healthcare and ushers in a future where patients receive more effective, personalized, and proactive care at a fraction of the cost of today’s standard of care,” said James Mault, MD, Founder, CEO, BioIntelliSense. “I look forward to engaging with fellow healthcare innovation leaders to advance this critical conversation on how forward-thinking healthcare systems can successfully adopt RPM and next-generation health technologies for better patient and operational outcomes.”

“I am delighted to be part of this conversation,” said Morgan Hertel, VP, Technology and Innovation, Rapid Response Monitoring. “Wearables are quickly becoming the norm today and one of the easiest and most effective ways to provide a whole host of health and fitness related services.”

“Connected health and remote patient monitoring are the future of healthcare and will drive the next healthcare evolution. Aligning them with reimbursement and a business model is critical. I am looking forward to discussing this and more at the upcoming Connected Health Summit,” said Dr. Waqaas Al-Siddiq, CEO, Biotricity.

For more information on Parks Associates research and events, please contact me or any of our team. Visit www.parksassociates.com to browse our research library.

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