Approximately one in five Americans, more than 60 million people, live in rural areas. On average, rural residents are older, poorer, and generally in poorer health than their urban counterparts. Access to medical services is also limited, as more doctor visits and care are required. Facing labor shortages and sustainability challenges, rural providers cannot go it alone.
At the 37th Annual AHA Rural Health Leadership Conference held last week, Dr. Physician, healthcare technology expert, and former chief medical officer at Salesforce, author of Dead Wrong: Diagnosing and Treating Healthcare's Misinformation Illness, Author Geeta Nayar, MD, looked at how hospitals and healthcare organizations deliver care and care. The health system can cope.
Part of Advocate Health, the nonprofit system's virtual health care is an important part of a massive transformation in its overall care model. Katie Kriener, senior vice president of virtual care for Advocate Health and its Southeast region medical group operations, noted in her report that technology provides the ability to realize health systems' visions.
Four keys to Atrium Health's virtual care services
1. Combating social media misinformation
Although 93% of Americans trust their doctors to give them good advice on health issues, 52% of Americans do not trust the health care system. Only 10% of physicians practice in rural areas, many of whom are primary care physicians or family physicians, working on a diverse range of cases and making the most of limited resources.
remove: Hospitals can counter the noise from social media influencers by using their own clinicians to deliver content that emphasizes their role as a trusted source of information in their communities. This includes short blogs, social media messaging, and creating YouTube videos of the clinician explaining important health topics.
2. Talk to the new kids on the healthcare block
Ninety percent of healthcare provider executives who are aware of consumer dissatisfaction with the healthcare system say consumerism is a top priority. Even if many patients are satisfied with their current doctor, 69% would prefer another provider that offers more attractive services, such as availability of same-day appointments for non-routine problems, convenient location, or self-scheduling. I'm thinking of considering switching to . Big retailers and technology companies have vast resources and deep knowledge about consumer experience, but they lack knowledge about healthcare and individual communities.
remove: Hospitals can partner with retailers and leading technology companies to meet patient demand for timely care options and easy-to-use online tools that guide patients to the most convenient way to address their needs. .
3. Execute your digital transformation strategy
Focus on telemedicine to improve access and reduce unnecessary emergency department visits. Leverage the wearable revolution to engage with your patients about preventive care and wellness. Increase online engagement to strengthen patient-provider relationships and improve understanding of medical information and recommendations. By lightening the load with artificial intelligence and connecting everything with data solutions and interoperability, we bring joy back to healthcare workers and eliminate non-value-added work.
remove: Hospitals can partner with retailers and leading technology companies to meet patient demand for timely care options and easy-to-use online tools that guide patients to the most convenient way to address their needs. .
