Comparing Modes of Telehealth Delivery:Phone vs. Video Visits

Telemedicine and an emerging field of novel care delivery modalities, which encompasses all forms of remote-based care. These include asynchronous (store-and-forward) and consultative care by specialists, mobile-device based care, and real-time video chat, and synchronous telemedicine. Health care services delivered remotely through telecommunications and video technology is steadily increasing as technology evolves and access becomes more widely available. The increasing availability of personal technology - 89% Americans have internet access, 77% are online daily - offers patients and clinicians the opportunity to utilize real-time virtual communication to enhance access for patients when transportation challenges, schedules, or physical disability make office visits difficult in any geography. With the increased use of technology in healthcare, much emphasis has been placed on telemedicine as it can extend the services of providers to remote locations and overcome the barrier of proximity. This expands access to care and has the potential of making healthcare services more convenient for many patients who otherwise might suffer access barriers.

It is increasingly evident that telehealth can improve access to healthcare services and specialists; prevent unnecessary delays in receiving care, and facilitate coordinated care and interprofessional collaboration. The World Health Organization affirms the efficacy of telehealth as an effective service delivery model for professionals.

Telemedicine has been shown to improve health outcomes, increase communication with providers, increase access to high-quality service, decrease travel time, decrease missed appointments, decrease wait time, decrease repeat admissions, increase self-awareness, increase medication adherence, and increase self-monitoring of chronic conditions. The technical quality of telehealth consultation (e.g. audio and visual quality of a videoconference) has been shown to influence clinicians' willingness to practice in this manner and the satisfaction of users. A recent systematic review on patient satisfaction with telemedicine found that patient satisfaction can be associated with the modality of telehealth, but factors of effectiveness and efficiency are mixed. Telehealth is a feasible option to expand practices to remote areas without having to relocate or expand. Understanding the perceived relative value of different modes of healthcare services may help to shape the use of virtual or remote healthcare technologies. System learning that demonstrates the value of different types of "visits" for the system and the patient is essential.