The conventional wisdom that the best care is delivered in-person by experienced caregivers may soon be overturned. Rising health care costs, a shortage of physicians, and an aging population are making the traditional model of care increasingly unsustainable. But new uses of virtual health and digital technologies may help the industry manage these challenges. A number of new technologies are helping to move elements of patient care from medical workers to machines and to patients themselves, allowing health care organizations to reduce costs by reducing labor intensity.
Virtual health refers to the use of enabling technology — such as video, mobile apps, text-based messaging, sensors, and social platforms — to deliver health services in a way that is independent of time or location. We believe uses of virtual health hold potential to boost the capacity of primary care doctors — without adding or training more professionals — at a time when the American Association of Medical Colleges projects a shortage of as many as 40,000 primary care physicians (PCPs) in the next decade.
