Opinion: Virtual first is flaming out. A virtual-second model can refresh telehealth
Telehealth needs a major refresh. Just this week, retail juggernaut Walmart announced it is shuttering its virtual care business. Not long before that, Optum announced the closing of Optum Virtual Care, Teladoc Health announced a change in leadership following a further drop in stock price, and the Peterson Health Technology Institute published a report critical of outcomes generated by most digital diabetes management providers.
My personal experiences with telehealth haven’t been inspiring. They include two video visits with providers affiliated with Duke Health, the health system I have used for a couple of decades. Both visits were for low-level issues. In one case, I wanted to obtain advice for managing respiratory symptoms I had been experiencing and to check if they might mean I had contracted Covid-19. In the second case, I needed to switch from a muscle relaxant that was causing severe drowsiness to something milder. Both visits, with providers I had not seen before, went fine and gave me what I needed.
