The Future of Integrated Healthcare: Physical, Virtual, and At-Home Care

The Future of Integrated Healthcare: Physical, Virtual, and At-Home Care

Patients need healthcare designed and accessible to them, regardless of their objectives and needs. This has pushed the healthcare landscape to evolve, offering more opportunities for providers to meet their patients’ needs.

Integrated care models effectively combine physical, virtual, and at-home care options for patients, enabling them to receive the care they need in a way that is not only accessible but also more desirable. This has the potential to improve provider relationships and foster a greater willingness to seek care.

Patient-centered care is essential in today’s health ecosystem. Consider the necessary strategies to ensure holistic healthcare within your organization.

Physical Healthcare is the Traditional Foundation

There is a continued need for in-person care. The American Hospital Association’s Sg2 2024 Impact of Change report shares interesting details about the changes likely to occur in the coming years related to in-person healthcare. Notably, a 17% jump in volume in outpatient settings is likely, particularly in areas of outpatient surgical services. Hospitals and doctors’ offices must be able to handle this growth.

Most practitioners require some degree of in-person care. Healthcare facilities and staff must be able to deliver high-quality care within these environments.

Yet, challenges impact the possibility of achieving this. There continues to be a high demand for nurses. The Healthcare Workforce Analysis from the Health Resources and Services Administration believes that, by 2030, a shortage of 63,720 full-time RNs is likely across the US. There is also a shortage of physicians and specialists for hands-on roles within healthcare facilities, which could impair the ability of locations to provide their patients with exceptional care.

Virtual Healthcare: Expanding Access and Efficiency

Telemedicine and remote consultations continue to be highly valuable from both a practitioner’s and a patient’s perspective. The benefits of telehealth are numerous:

  • It keeps sick people from being too close to each other.
  • Lets patients see their provider anywhere.
  • Saves patients and practitioners time and money.
  • It allows for more efficient scheduling of patient needs.
  • It may open the door for more choices in holistic healthcare.

Technology is bridging the gap, especially for rural and underserved populations. People within these groups are in favor of considering telehealth services when other care may not be readily available. Those who lack transportation to a doctor’s office in an underserved community can use their smartphone connection to access the medical services they need.

Virtual healthcare is essential for practitioners. However, like other areas of healthcare employment, there are limitations on available providers. Recruiting challenges specific to virtual healthcare include finding tech-savvy healthcare professionals who can thrive in a virtual environment and may need different skill sets compared to those in a solely traditional office space. Navigating computer systems and internet connections is one thing; creating still-effective ways of bonding with patients can also be challenging and requires skills different from those of in-person providers.

At-Home Care: Convenience and Comfort for Patients

The SG2 2024 Impact of Change report also points out the importance of increasing at-home care for patients. The survey expects home health to grow by about 22%, due in part to the higher number of older people who want to remain at home. Home healthcare is a critical tool for helping people stay out of the hospital.

Home health services often include remote monitoring and post-acute care within a residential area. This type of care often revolves around personalized care plans that allow people to receive the type and level of care they personally need. Furthermore, many people want to recover from in-hospital stays, injuries, or illnesses at home, in familiar environments.

The growth of at-home care faces recruiting challenges. One such challenge is finding healthcare workers skilled in delivering personal care outside of traditional settings. These individuals must be more hands-on and able to handle a wide range of care services without the support of other healthcare professionals in the same room.

The Intersection of Physical, Virtual, and At-Home Care

Holistic healthcare integrates all three of these services into one patient experience. This process brings its own challenges, such as ensuring accurate communication and adherence to HIPAA regulations. There is also the need to incorporate more technology that allows for onsite monitoring and care services. For healthcare organizations, it will be critical to find a way to offer blended services that fit the patient’s physical needs and preferences across all areas.

Recruiting for an Integrated Healthcare Model

To build success, practices must identify key skills across different areas of their service. Core skills may include:

  • Communication, including direct patient care and tech-based communication strategies.
  • Critical thinking skills to allow for analysis opportunities in the current environment. A virtual healthcare provider cannot touch a patient but must still assess the patient’s health, for example.
  • Patient education, especially with at-home services where the patient may not interact with other caregivers, is critical.
  • Time management skills are vital, especially in an in-person setting or during virtual appointments, to keep each appointment on schedule.

Recruiting talent to meet the needs of integrated healthcare delivery is more challenging. You may be looking for more robust talent that can handle multiple duties. Most organizations also benefit from choosing a facility that offers flexibility and adaptability to support this type of care model, which could continue to evolve.

Balancing Medical Care Across the Scope of Integrated Services

Holistic healthcare must meet all areas important to the patient’s needs, including balancing in-person, virtual, and at-home care. Hiring the right talent across all three areas prepares your healthcare organization to deliver holistic patient care and meet modern challenges. This, coupled with the need to manage financial challenges within the healthcare practice and increasing demand from patients, are critical areas of focus for practices heading into modern medicine.

MRINetwork can help empower you through this process. They provide you with the tools and resources you need to find talent capable of meeting your specific medical care and service goals.