Currently, there are more than 500 struggling hospitals in rural America. As a result of significant losses and financial insufficiency, healthcare is becoming less resilient. According to a report, 25% or more of hospitals in 21 states are in danger, and most states face an imminent risk of hospital failure.
The numbers are upsetting, indicating the serious problems facing today’s rural hospitals. However, the issue goes well beyond this. Physician shortages are causing nationwide healthcare access deficits in urban and rural areas, and new approaches are urgently needed.
Hospitals can benefit from telemedicine in a variety of ways in order to address this issue. By lowering costs and improving physician accessibility, telemedicine can also assist hospitals in saving money and delivering higher levels of care to the communities they serve. Furthermore, telemedicine can help patients receive the necessary care while creating healthcare resilience and long-term financial sustainability.
Hucu.ai App is an excellent example of how communication and operations are sorted out smoothly around a healthcare organization’s patients, doctors, and staff. Hucu.ai is a HIPAA-compliant healthcare communication app that provides a platform for patients, doctors, staff, and families to remain connected remotely systematically. Doctors can sign up for their patients virtually and also communicate about the patient with the care team in separate channels. The care team provides real-time updates to families of institution residents through Hucu.ai. Hucu.ai could be a complete communication solution that may save staff time by up to 50%, increase work efficiency, and reduce hospital costs.
Telemedicine is the use of digital technology to provide healthcare services remotely. This can be done through HIPAA secure video conferencing and other online services. In coordination with Tele-rehabilitation and Telemonitoring, telemedicine programs can positively impact healthcare organizations’ financial performance.
Financial and Other Benefits of Telemedicine
The use of telemedicine and other forms of digital connectivity provides several financial benefits to healthcare organizations. Here are some of the most significant financial benefits of telemedicine:
Patients are kept at Home Thanks to Greater Access to Care
Using telemedicine, hospitals may provide improved access to care, including late-night acute care services, as well as to a broad range of specialties. By keeping patients in-house, hospitals may keep their patients, and revenue, from walking out the door because they cannot be adequately or efficiently served, limiting transfers to other facilities. Telemedicine can be used to extend the reach of providers who are geographically distant from the clients they serve. It can lower the cost of care by reducing the amount of travel time and associated expenses.
Lowering Care Costs through Fractional Physician Support is Possible
Recruiting additional physicians to support medical care services is costly and difficult. In many situations, full-time doctors are not required to fill in for the occasional gap in service. Telemedicine may lower the overall cost of care by providing on-demand and only peak-time coverage when needed. This would allow hospitals to invest their overhead in recruiting and retaining an additional on-staff doctor, particularly when there is only a part-time requirement.
Higher-Priced Offerings are Being Offered through New Specialty Services
Hospitals that cannot provide specialty services due to a lack of personnel or other resources can now do so by using specialty telemedicine services. By providing on-demand hematologists or oncologists, hospitals can provide a higher level of care without losing money by sending these more expensive patients to another facility.
Using Telemedicine to Improve Healthcare Resilience
The “one-size-fits-all” answer to ensuring healthcare resilience is not the answer for hospitals. In order to ensure long-term financial sustainability and even growth for rural and metropolitan hospitals, telemedicine should be considered for optimal care efficiency, lower costs, and higher revenue potential.
Reduced Operational Costs
Telemedicine can help reduce the cost of capital equipment and supplies by reducing the need for specialized and expensive equipment. The technology that supports telemedicine also provides added availability and continuity of operations. Reduced travel costs and time away from the job. Telemedicine reduces the time and expense of travel while increasing the availability of providers who can be called on to treat patients.
Improved Patient Satisfaction and Retention
The use of online services can improve patient satisfaction by providing access to care that would otherwise be unavailable. It also facilitates a more convenient and less stressful experience.
Improved Referral Rates From Providers
Telemedicine also provides opportunities for healthcare organizations to improve provider referral rates. Telemedicine can be used to provide care that insurance providers would have otherwise denied.
Increased Patient Loyalty and Engagement
Healthcare organizations will benefit from improved patient engagement through the use of telemedicine. – Telemedicine can be used to improve the general brand image of an organization and increase patient loyalty. It can also impact referral rates from patients. Telemedicine reduces patient wait times and anxiety around unplanned visits. – It also provides patients with timely access to care through the convenience of an online visit. – A greater focus on patient satisfaction can also improve patient loyalty. – Additionally, the use of online services can improve the experience of service-connected individuals.
Improving Organizational Efficiency and Productivity
The use of telemedicine can positively impact the productivity of healthcare organizations by reducing travel time and costs. This, in turn, improves efficiency and productivity. – Organizations benefit from improved scheduling and more accurate forecasting due to the availability of more resources when and where they are needed. – Telemedicine also provides an opportunity to reduce the amount of time that staff members spend on administrative tasks. – The time saved can be redirected toward patient care. – Furthermore, the availability of more real-time data improves decision-making and resource allocation.
Ensuring Stable Staffing With Telemedicine-based Rotations
The use of telemedicine can help healthcare organizations to improve staffing stability. – This can happen by reducing the need for long-term travel and offering opportunities for shorter-term assignments. – The technology that supports telemedicine provides opportunities for remote supervision and oversight. – This can be used to support matching specific staff members with specific clients or projects. – It can also help an organization better manage the expectations of staff members working from remote locations.
Conclusion
The use of telemedicine can positively impact the financial performance of healthcare organizations. It can do this by lowering healthcare costs, increasing patient loyalty and engagement, improving organizational efficiency and productivity, and ensuring stable staffing with telemedicine-based rotations.
Please visit the Hucu.ai HIPAA Tele-medicine application for boosting the hospital’s profitability and contact us for a free consultation to find out how we might assist you in strengthening your hospital’s resilience.
