and the availability of emergency care and qualified doctors and nurses as the causes of their concern .
For both practical reasons and consumer preference , a hybrid model of care will be necessary in the future . Healthcare companies can develop seamless exchanges between their online and offline delivery models and along the care continuum . As telehealth develops , it can also guide patients — steering or triaging them — toward the right delivery model .
During the pandemic , Raffles Medical Group in Singapore added mobile and remote services to improve healthcare access . A search-and-scheduling app empowered consumers to find Covid-19 tests , providers , and specialists , which helped to reduce wait times for in-person care . Raffles is expected to integrate health insurance into its platform soon , coming full circle for patients on a single platform .
New reality , new opportunities The pandemic rapidly accelerated digital health trends and fasttracked consumer and provider adoption . Face-to-face and physical interactions will resume in some cases , but digital delivery models are now a permanent part of the healthcare landscape . As such , healthcare organizations need to evolve , too . There are still pain points and gaps to be filled , especially in markets where primary care providers are limited . We identified four patient-centric opportunities to meet rising consumer expectations : healthcare organizations can simplify the patient journey , create integrated continuums of care , optimize and deliver value-based care , and empower patients and physicians .
Simplify the patient journey Consumers ’ desire for a single touchpoint to manage their care is not abating . Along with convenience , they want access to the best care options and full transparency surrounding costs .
Healthcare companies have the opportunity to consolidate multiple sources of data ( e . g ., patient profiles , behavior , clinical data , medical bills and claims ) and create a single touchpoint for patients . Centralization will increase transparency and enable more personalized and cost-effective care .
A simpler pathway to care can increase population health overall . Digital delivery models have a distinct advantage over physical locations and providers and can help erase healthcare disparity . For example , access to healthcare is uneven across Indonesia . Metropolitan regions have almost five times the number of physicians as remote areas . Within cities , patients are often deterred by traffic and long waiting times . Halodoc , a health-tech platform , entered the market , pulling multiple healthcare service lines under one digital umbrella . Patients can manage appointments , prescription delivery , lab testing , consultations , and other services through a single point of contact . Halodoc estimates its virtual consultations are 70 % to 80 % cheaper for patients than seeing a provider in person .
Create integrated continuums of care Physician readiness for new care sites outpaces patient readiness in some respects . More than 90 % of physicians feel nonemergency services could move outside the hospital setting , but only 60 % of consumers are comfortable receiving care at alternate sites . Consumers cited facilities and equipment
Optimize and deliver value-based care As consumers become more involved in their care — and more willing to pay for it — this will challenge the traditional fee-forservice model . Healthcare companies need to deliver better customer experiences and outcomes — i . e ., more value — to attract and retain lifelong patients . There are many untapped opportunities to increase value for patients before , during , and after care .
In Australia , NSW Health enlisted clinical and nonclinical support to shift its focus from “ output ” to “ outcomes .” Its Leading Better Value Care ( LBVC ) initiative is designed to deliver the right care at the right place at the right time to increase value for patients .
LBVC includes a framework to measure the patient experience and patients ’ perceptions of their care , health status , and clinical outcomes . The health system has 13 focus areas for delivering value-based care ; most include conditions with complex or ongoing care needs , such as diabetes or wound management . In these areas , NSW Health focuses on increasing clinician coordination , patient education , and patient-perceived outcomes .
As more health companies move toward value-based care over fee-for-service models , expect more emphasis on preventative health , convenience , and customer service .
Empower patients and physicians More than 70 % of consumers say they conduct research online to understand their symptoms and treatments , and more than 60 % use technology to monitor their health . Consumers want access to their health information so they can take control of treatment plans and chart their own pathways to care .
Consumers are willing to “ see any doctor ” for acute treatment and want easy access to their primary physician for ongoing and chronic care . Health systems have to staff and support virtual-care providers to match demand and connect patients to the right care teams .
Providers need the right technology and digital tools to deliver secure , quality services through virtual platforms and to work more efficiently . Providers also need access to historical patient data , such as visit summaries and lab reports .
One company is trying to build a healthcare ecosystem to support physicians and patients . Tencent believes it can increase digital engagement and training among physicians by taking information to platforms they already use . Tencent created a physician education program within WeChat , a Chinese app with more than 1 billion monthly users . About 70 % of Chinese
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com ISSUE 6 | 2022
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