Health systems find success through unified telemedicine approach
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed widespread adoption of virtual care across health systems, but health system leaders believe success in telemedicine now requires a strategic unified framework rather than fragmented implementation efforts.
Strategic implementation drives value
Health systems are discovering that disjointed approaches to virtual care technology, workflows, and protocols can lead to increased costs and poor experiences for both patients and care teams.
Valley Health System, a not-for-profit health system based in Winchester, Virginia, has demonstrated how an enterprise-wide systems approach can maximize telehealth benefits across its network of over 100 locations.
Teaming up with Teladoc Health, Valley Health successfully implemented a virtual nursing pilot program, which expanded to all of its six hospitals—with plans to scale their virtual care ecosystem for comprehensive healthcare services.
“While telehealth offers immense value during times of crisis – whether global pandemic, natural disaster or staffing emergency – health systems are quickly learning the staying power of these programs within their organizations to help achieve clinical, operational and business goals,” explains Scott Wilson, senior director of HHS enterprise growth strategy at Teladoc Health.
Technology integration and patient-centered care
The unified virtual care ecosystem implemented at Valley Health provides care teams with consistent access points for service delivery. The system incorporates advanced features like AI-assisted Virtual Sitter, which enables a single remote staff member to monitor multiple patients simultaneously, significantly reducing costs while increasing healthcare team capacity.
Key elements of successful implementation include:
- Purpose-built devices such as TVs, carts, and tablets designed specifically for telemedicine
- Integration with Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems
- Support for direct-to-patient visits and hybrid video consultations
- Standardized processes across extensive networks
“By taking an enterprise systems approach to virtual care planning, implementation and expansion, leaders at Valley Health were able to avoid this pitfall and maximize the benefits of virtual care for their patients, care teams and their health system in general,” Wilson noted.
The transition from decentralized to unified telemedicine frameworks has enabled health systems to achieve significant milestones, including improved nursing staff efficiency and successful acquisition of community-based care initiative grants. This approach ensures sustainable growth and technological integration while delivering effective virtual care experiences to diverse communities, particularly benefiting rural areas where healthcare access has traditionally been limited.
Wilson will elaborate further on this subject, along with two co-speakers from Valley Health System, at an HIMSS25 educational session entitled “Unlocking Virtual Care: A Collaborative Approach to Expansion and Success” on March 6.
