Dive Brief:
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Teladoc, which offers virtual care delivery services, announced that it achieved more than 100% growth in the hospital and health system market in 2017, after adding new health system clients.
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The telehealth company now supports more than 200 hospitals, which is more than double the amount at the beginning of the year.
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Healthcare organizations that selected Teladoc this year include Mount Sinai in New York, Jefferson Health in Philadelphia and Mercy Health Network in Des Moines.
Dive Insight:
The telehealth industry is growing as telemedicine becomes a more accepted complement to in-person care. A Teladoc study in 2016 found 83% of health systems said telehealth was a high-priority initiative. The company also found that more than half of health systems with telehealth programs plan to expand their use. Teladoc said that demand will “further drive Teladoc’s growth.”
A recent survey found that three-fourths of healthcare organizations offer or plan to offer telehealth services this year. Foley & Lardner’s 2017 Telemedicine and Digital Health Survey said healthcare organizations have flocked to telemedicine since 2014 when a whopping 87% of respondents said they didn’t anticipate patients would use virtual care services.
Another example of healthcare’s acceptance of telehealth is that Medicare payments for telehealth increased 28% last year to $28.7 million. The number of telehealth claims grew by 33%.
Though more healthcare providers are integrating telehealth into their practices, there are still concerns about reimbursements. Another recent survey found that barriers to greater telehealth expansion include reimbursement issues, costs and resources, patient and provider awareness and licensing and regulation.