How Telehealth is Transforming Healthcare

In 2023, the American Medical Association (AMA) reported that 74% of physicians worked in practices that offered telehealth services, underscoring the growing importance of telehealth in modern healthcare. It is estimated that by the end of 2026, up to 30% of all medical visits in the U.S. will be conducted using telehealth.

Explore how telehealth is used across various healthcare settings and its potential benefits for patients and healthcare providers.

What is telehealth?

Telehealth allows patients to connect with healthcare providers remotely using technology such as smartphones, tablets or computers.

There are two main types of telehealth services:

• Synchronous telehealth enables real-time communication between patients and providers through methods such as video calls, phone calls or secure text messaging
• Asynchronous telehealth gathers medical data, such as images or reports, for specialists to review later. This also includes data that's collected from mobile health devices (e.g., fitness trackers) and remote patient monitoring devices (e.g., glucose meters and pacemakers). 

How telehealth is used in healthcare

Todd DeFreece, JD, MHA, MBA, who serves on the executive healthcare MBA faculty in the Heider College of Business at Creighton University, says telehealth is ideal for primary care visits, and he’s seeing a growing use in behavioral health. "The evidence increasingly demonstrates that a significant number of ambulatory encounters can be provided within a telehealth framework. This is true for primary care and, to a limited extent, on the specialty side," DeFreece says. "I would emphasize that the greatest and most expansive use of telehealth right now is growing on the behavioral health side—this is due in large part to the shortage of behavioral health providers at the same time that we see ever-increasing demand."

In addition to primary care and behavioral health, other areas where telehealth has been shown to be effective include: 

• Chronic disease management, such as for diabetes and cardiovascular disease
• Mental health
• Common illnesses, such as colds
• Skin conditions
• Follow-up visits after surgery

Telehealth provides access to care for patients in rural areas or locations with provider shortages, minimizing patient travel and wait times while maintaining efficiency and quality of care. It’s a vital part of the future of medicine, especially for expanding access to care.

What are the benefits of telehealth?

Telehealth services can benefit both patients and healthcare providers. Some of the benefits include:

• Allowing patients to access care without the need for travel: It eliminates the need for long-distance trips. This can help make care more accessible, especially in rural health clinics and underserved areas.
• Boosted treatment compliance for chronic conditions: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that telehealth can help patients follow medication guidelines and diet recommendations as well as regularly track clinical outcomes (e.g., blood pressure).
• Improved communication: Telehealth facilitates consistent contact between patients and providers, strengthening trust and patient engagement.
• Lower costs: By reducing travel, time off work and unnecessary urgent care visits, telehealth can help reduce overall healthcare costs.
• Limit illness exposure: Staying home for care limits in-person contact and helps reduce the spread of infections.
• Expand healthcare professional options: Patients can connect with a wider range of providers, increasing the chance of finding the right fit.
• Flexibility: The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) notes that telehealth can increase flexibility and help attract new patients. As DeFreece explains, “Telehealth visits on inclement weather days allow appointments to proceed that would otherwise be canceled or rescheduled.”

The challenges and limitations of virtual healthcare services

Several barriers to telehealth use remain, including:

1. Limitations on physical examinations and diagnostic tests: Telehealth may not be right for every healthcare condition. "A significant number of specialty visits have a technology component that doesn’t easily lend itself to a telehealth environment," DeFreece says. "Oncology, cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, OB/GYN and most subspecialties are not as easy to package from a telehealth standpoint due to the X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, echocardiograms or other procedures that the patients need from a diagnostic standpoint."
2. Technical difficulties: Internet issues or software glitches can interrupt virtual visits and lower the quality of care. This can be a particular concern for patients in rural areas that may not have access to reliable or affordable internet service.
3. Security and privacy concerns: Patient data shared online is more exposed to breaches, which can raise concerns about confidentiality.
4. Lack of multistate licensure: Providers often need separate licenses for each state, increasing costs and administrative burden.
5. Data accuracy and misdiagnosis: Poor image or video quality can result in missing details, leading to possibly incorrect diagnoses or treatment plans.
6. Provider-patient relationship challenges: The lack of in-person interaction can make care feel less personal and reduce patient trust. "Telehealth is challenging for crucial conversations," DeFreece says. "If an oncologist needs to provide a patient’s prognosis or a cardiologist has to explain the placement of a stent—those conversations are tough to convey via phone or computer screen."
7. Medical liability: It’s not always clear how malpractice laws apply to telehealth due to varying state laws, which can create legal uncertainty for providers.
8. Fraud and abuse concerns: Virtual care must follow the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and applicable billing laws to avoid potential violations.
9. Prescribing controlled substances: Strict legal requirements make it harder to prescribe certain medications through telehealth.
10. Reimbursement issues: Many insurance plans still limit telehealth coverage, which can discourage providers from offering virtual care.

How can healthcare providers overcome telehealth barriers?

The AMA reports that while telehealth technology isn’t a holistic care solution, it works best when integrated into routine medical practices and the broader healthcare system. DeFreece emphasizes that multiple parts of a healthcare system should work together for telehealth services to be effective. “Clinical operations, IT, finance and informatics all need to support telehealth for it to work—and that starts with ensuring providers are on board,” he says. DeFreece suggests telehealth medical care should be seen as an integrated part of existing workflows, not an added burden.

He also highlights the need for “a coordinated strategy and roadmap for telehealth services that supports and strengthens current care delivery strategies.” DeFreece says, “It’s important for telehealth adoption to align with other service strategies, or it will take second place in terms of priority.”

Executive Healthcare MBA at Creighton University

The Executive Healthcare MBA program from Creighton University helps professionals gain the skills needed to lead in the evolving healthcare field—including the rise of telehealth. Focused on developing values-based leaders, the program teaches current trends in healthcare management and how to use telehealth to improve public health. 

Explore the Executive Healthcare MBA, or request more information today.