About 25 percent of patients routinely used telehealth in 2022, according to a Jan. 9 report from the American Medical Association.
As telehealth gains in popularity, there are still several updates that need to be made to make it friendlier for both patients and physicians.
Here are five predictions for the evolution of telehealth in 2023, according to the AMA:
1. Telehealth will continue to become easier to use. More effort and money will likely go into its usability, and technology will expand as more patients use telehealth on a regular basis.
2. The field will move towards an all-in-one technology. Joint ventures between physicians and tech companies will create more seamless technological solutions.
3. Chronic disease management will improve. Digital tools will offer patients solutions beyond medication to manage chronic illness. More wearable technology sensors, chat boxes and symptoms management tools will improve patient health and decrease mortality.
4. Government funding will continue to be a hot topic. Telehealth can only grow if physicians are being paid properly, which will continue to be a regulatory fight in 2023.
5. More investors will put money into virtual care and digital health solutions. Investors have capital to deploy in healthcare and will want to follow growing trends.