Over the last two years, healthcare organizations have had to rapidly adopt digital technologies to adapt to fluctuating changes brought on by the pandemic. Unfortunately, even though many of these solutions provided excellent results in the short term, many organizations are struggling to integrate these solutions successfully as long-term strategies. According to research by the McKinsey Company, 70 percent of complex, large-scale change programs don't reach their stated goals. We spoke with Michael Seavers, Ph.D., MHA, MBA, MS Comp Sci Program Lead, and Assistant Professor of Healthcare Informatics, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, to learn more about this issue.
Seavers explained that although telemedicine provides significant benefits, many barriers still need to be addressed in 2022 to enable true transformation. "Although telemedicine has provided patients with more access to care during the pandemic, research is still lacking. Data is needed to show if the quality of telemedicine is the same as on-ground office visits," shared Seavers.
There are also challenges for different regions in the U.S. " Limited reimbursement is a challenge. Not all states have parity laws yet. The digital divide is also a barrier as not all areas in the U.S. have solid high-speed internet connections," Said Seavers. He also explained that more patient education is needed to help patients use digital health solutions.
Seavers shared that he thinks long-lasting change will occur when parity laws and the digital divide are addressed. He also explained that both patient and provider education will play a significant role as we move forward.
