Quality ‘Gaps’ Risk Impeding Telehealth: Logitech

Though telehealth adoption is expanding “dramatically” during the COVID-19 pandemic, so also is the “gap” between access to connected health services and service “efficiency,” a Logitech-sponsored survey found. It commissioned Escalent to canvass about 150 providers in 22 countries in July, finding 86% say telehealth lets patients receive care they otherwise might not access physically, yet 46% say video-based telehealth is more efficient than in-person visits. More than eight in 10 providers report technical issues with their video quality over the past year “that they deem serious enough to disrupt the quality of care that they are able to deliver.” And 92% worry that poor video quality reduces the likelihood of the patient attending future telehealth visits, while two-thirds fear that lousy video experiences could prompt their patients to seek out alternative providers. “The data show gaps in the telehealth experience that prevent it from producing the outcomes that the industry needs and to sustain its momentum,” said Logitech. “Virtual care has never been more important.”