In a possible sign of new interest in the telehealth market, a major telecom company has unveiled a new platform that connects consumers with healthcare providers via their smartphone, tablet or computer.
Verizon's new "Verizon Virtual Visits" platform joins a market currently populated by the likes of American Well, Teladoc and MDLive, to name just a few. The telecom giant's entry into this market could raise its visibility at a time when providers, payers and self-insured businesses are looking for more ways to connect consumers and doctors outside the hospital or clinic.
Verizon officials say their new platform is designed for health systems, health plans and employers to help employees/members who need to see a doctor for a minor healthcare issue. They point to recent studies showing that as many as 62 million Americans have difficulty accessing a physician for primary or preventative care – the average time for a new patient to schedule an appointment is 27 days. Instead, these people might seek help at an urgent care clinic or hospital emergency room, costing the U.S. healthcare system some $4.4 billion this year in non-urgent visits.
[Related: Closing the loop with with EHRs and telehealth tools.]
"This finds a way to connect patients to providers," Christine Izui, Verizon's mHealth quality officer, told mHealth News. "It's designed to be just like an office visit, but it goes wherever you are."
Izui said Verizon decided to enter the telehealth space "because we have a secure healthcare cloud and we know mobile." In working with customers, she said, Verizon could create a network of providers or partner with an existing provider group or network.
The Verizon Virtual Visit platform is similar to others in the market. Consumers can log in through a web portal or app, fill out a brief questionnaire that serves as intake, then can connect via video with a clinician who can, among other things, issue prescriptions to the consumer's pharmacy of choice. Back-end technology first verifies that the consumer can access the platform, then determines payment. At the end of the session, a visit summary is generated for the patient and can, with the consumer's permission, be sent to the primary care provider and entered into the electronic health record.
Verizon officials say Virtual Visit can help providers by creating a new product to attract consumers – especially the younger generations "who are increasingly demanding more convenient and less costly options for care." It can also help clinicians make better use of their time and reduce the burden on their office staff.
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