How Getlabs Brings the Telehealth Experience Full Circle

In this day and age, convenience is king. It influences many of our decisions, like how we shop, where we work, and even how we choose to receive medical care, like telehealth.

The promise of telehealth has always been to provide quality care whenever and wherever it’s needed. Although it has been around for decades, adoption surged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Forrester projecting nearly one billion visits in 2020. Even now, utilization is 38X higher than pre-pandemic levels.

However, despite the promise of telehealth and surge in adoption, there is still a gap preventing telehealth from being a fully remote healthcare experience - a gap that Getlabs is bringing full circle.

Let’s explore.

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What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is the use of technology to provide or receive care in a virtual environment. This is accomplished via video or audio conferencing technology, like smartphones, tablets, or the computer and enables remote physicians to see patients virtually whenever and wherever it’s needed.

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Why Use Telehealth?

We’ve all put off health appointments at one time or another. In fact, 78% of Americans avoid or delay medical care, and 29% avoid or delay basic preventative care. Whether it’s difficulty taking time off of work, trouble finding reliable childcare, or cost, telehealth offers a convenient solution for millions of patients to receive care from the comfort of their home.

There are very few medical specialties that can’t utilize and benefit from telehealth. From cardiology to oncology, neurology to psychiatry, with just an internet connection and video conferencing technology, you can meet with a provider at any time, anywhere. However, there are some medical appointments that benefit from telehealth more than others.

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Here are a few common use cases for a telehealth appointment:

• Routine appointments with your healthcare provider
• Mental health treatment, including therapy or medication management
• Evaluations for common ailments like colds, stomach aches, and coughs
• Quick medical questions with a medical professional
• Skin treatment
• Prescription management
• Review X-rays, scans, and lab results

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It’s important to remember that telehealth isn’t a one-size-fit-all healthcare solution. There are still plenty of medical emergencies, injuries, or other situations that require in-person care or a visit to the emergency room.

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The Benefits of Telehealth

The convenience of telehealth isn’t the only benefit. Below are a few of the benefits you can expect from telehealth.

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Fewer barriers to care

Scheduling a doctor’s appointment means overcoming several personal barriers, such as: transportation, time-off work, childcare, and more. All of which can decrease the likelihood you’ll schedule an appointment or seek care. Telehealth removes these barriers and makes it easier to access care by allowing you to meet doctors in a virtual setting.

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Easy follow-up care

Follow-up appointments are an important part in the recovery process. Telehealth makes it easier for frequent touchpoints to ensure patients are adopting and following recovery plans. Physicians can also quickly adjust plans based on progress updates to ensure patients are receiving the level of care they need.

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Increased access to specialty providers

What if you have an unusual looking mole, but the nearest dermatologist is hours away? Or if you’re having a mental health crisis, but there are no psychologists or therapists in your area?

Telehealth provides access to a broad range of specialists that aren’t restricted by geographical areas. For rural communities and historically underserved areas, this access to specialists provides opportunities for treatment that otherwise would be significantly delayed or not been previously available.

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Reduced cost

Healthcare is expensive in the United States, and the high cost deters many patients from seeking care. Fortunately, telehealth appointments are considerably cheaper than in-person care. According to a study from Health Affairs, the average cost of a telehealth appointment cost $76, compared to $146 for an in-person appointment.

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The Gap in Telehealth

Let’s imagine the patient journey with telehealth as a circle. The circle is comprised of the different parts of the overall healthcare journey, including:

1. Awareness of a health related problem
2. Scheduling an appointment
3. Completing a virtual visit
4. Diagnosis
5. Treatment
6. Ongoing treatment (if necessary)

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In an ideal world, every telehealth visit would begin and end your healthcare journey without leaving the comfort of your home. However, according to Harvard.edu, one of the main downsides of telehealth is that, “You still have to go into an office for things like imaging tests and blood work, as well as for diagnoses that require a more hands-on approach.”

Considering nearly 70% of medical decisions rely on lab tests, most medical appointments will likely require lab or blood work for an accurate picture of your health. So, how can you bridge the gap in telehealth by ensuring patients can complete their healthcare journey without leaving the comfort of their home?

That’s a challenge Getlabs is solving.

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How Getlabs Brings the Telehealth Experience Full Circle

Getlabs brings the telehealth experience full circle by delivering healthcare directly to you. If your provider requests blood or lab work, Getlabs will come to your home, collect the sample, and deliver the sample to a lab for processing. That way, your telehealth experience can truly all take place from the comfort of your home.

With over 5,000 different lab tests available, Getlabs enables you to book a nearby phlebotomist for many of the tests your doctor may recommend.

If you have questions about how it works, go to getlabs.com/faqs to learn more.