Maria is 67, diabetic, and tech-savvy enough to use her phone for Zoom calls. Last week, she had three virtual visits: one with a third-party telehealth provider, one with her PCP, and one for a follow-up on her foot exam. Not one of those clinicians had access to the other’s notes, leaving Maria to navigate a fragmented care system that slows down her treatment and recovery. A frustration echoed by 83 % of U.S. patients in a 2023 survey. Fierce Healthcare Patient Experience Survey, 2023
The Disconnect in Patient-Centered Telehealth
Telehealth comes in all shapes and sizes, but despite claims of patient-centered care, many solutions are designed through the lens of a provider, payer, technologist, or other non-patient-focused advocate.This approach overlooks the unique patient journey, as seen in Maria’s case, where telehealth is not tailored to her needs or experience. Telemedicine can mean very different things to different people—ranging from a quick 30-second prescription refill to complex, robot-assisted surgery.
When the rubber hit the road during Covid, it was FaceTime to the rescue that became a virtual care modality and still is in some pockets in times of need, if not replaced by WhatsApp or other video chat mechanisms.
And then you have your more mature comprehensive digital platform solutions for a richer experience and better patient care. And to this we have the whole complement of remote monitoring devices to enhance digital data evidence that supports the virtual care encounter. Are they patient‑centered? Maria’s glucose meters and portals say: ‘not yet’.