To scale for rapid deployment of services, Geisinger invested in a single telehealth platform for inpatient, outpatient and home-based services, reports Healthcare IT News. By consolidating platforms, Geisinger was able to standardize many of the workflows and training processes required to rapidly deploy a new modality for seeing patients.
Geisinger had been using telehealth prior to the pandemic to create better access to care for patients. However, COVID-19 surges accelerated widespread telehealth adoption, as many couldn’t leave their homes or were not comfortable coming to a doctor’s office. With this, the health system saw many hospitals experience strains in their ability to accommodate the volume of patients needing care.
Since the pandemic, Geisinger saw a greater than 2,000% increase in virtual patient encounters. Between March 16, 2020, and March 20, 2022, Geisinger completed more than 784,000 telehealth visits. At its peak, the health system averaged more than 3,800 encounters per day. Read more.
