Healthcare Where You Live And Work

Going to the doctor is a drag. Waking up with a rash or a sore throat often means playing phone tag with a doctor’s office, and they may not be able to see you for weeks. Your rash or sore throat may fix itself (or get exponentially worse) by then. Wouldn’t it be great if healthcare were like old movies where you simply call the local doctor and they come to your home and treat you at your bedside? Fortunately, those days are coming back.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed healthcare toward nontraditional care delivery. 

The healthcare industry saw widespread telehealth and remote care adoption. It makes sense–the risk of spreading COVID, particularly to those with chronic health conditions, meant care teams had no choice but to treat people virtually or in other nontraditional ways (like in their homes). Initially, no one was certain whether this would be temporary, or whether patients and clinicians would fully embrace new ways of delivering care. But a bill signed into law on December 29, 2022 contains a provision that allows employers to provide pre-deductible coverage of telehealth services for people with high-deductible health plans for another two years. This extended telehealth relief in the 2020 CARES Act. In short, that means virtual and remote care are still going to be easy to provide as a component of people’s health benefits. According to a recent article, many employer groups and stakeholders have said that the waiver improves health access for employees who may have avoided care due to the expense. Avoiding care due to cost has been increasingly problematic, with 38% of people report avoiding care for this reason according to a recent Gallup poll.

The telehealth waiver extension is great news for brokers, employers, and patients who discovered the convenience of telehealth and in-home care. No waiting rooms, no scheduling weeks in advance, no taking time off work or figuring out what to do with the kids. 

The concept isn’t new. Chronically ill and aging populations have been asking for “aging in place” for years. But home care isn’t just for these populations.

A quick Google search will reveal that “aging in place” has been a hot topic since long before the pandemic. Bringing care to those who need it, rather than vice versa, is attractive for a lot of reasons. Mobility issues, worsening conditions that require frequent care, and transportation challenges all play a role in people’s desire to bring care to their home. But the convenience factor is compelling for everyone–not just the aging or chronically ill. Most people get limited paid time off from work, and they don’t particularly want to spend it waiting in a crowded clinic. Scheduling can also be tricky–wait times for new patients with non-emergent conditions across five specialties is currently 26 days. Direct, in-person or virtual primary care can bring people the services and care they need exactly when they need it. 

Particularly for those with chronic conditions, home-based care can be more integrated and holistic.  

According to a recent article in Forbes, one of the benefits of home-based primary care is its integrated nature. Dr. Zia Agha, chief medical officer of West Health, noted that beyond the convenience of home-based primary care for those with chronic conditions, “That is the biggest advantage, to be helped at home and have the right care to allow them to have quality of life, and not be on aggressive medical services.”

Furthermore, when clinicians are physically present in patients’ homes, they can see environmental health factors for themselves. Clinicians may notice potential allergens, ergonomic arrangements (such as chairs or desks at the wrong height), and other aspects of a patient’s home that may create or exacerbate health conditions. Clinicians can see, document, and ask about things in the home that they would otherwise never know about. It gives the whole care team greater visibility into each patient as a whole and unique person. Dr. Carla Perissinotto, Medical Director of UCSF Care at Home at the University of California, San Francisco, added in the Forbes article, “When you are in someone’s home, you [as the clinician] are not the center, it is the person,” she says.

Technology is no longer a barrier to in-home care. 

Dr. Perissinotto noted that she’s able to do a lot without requiring a brick-and-mortar care location away from the patient’s home. “With my smartphone, I can do an EKG within a minute.” 

Here at Nice Healthcare, our clinicians can also perform EKGs along with lab work, blood draws, x-rays, and even virtual mental health therapy and physical therapy. Clinicians also have additional resources, including access to reference materials and research, at their fingertips during clinical visits.

Each clinician documents visits thoroughly, adding to an ever-growing clear picture of each patient’s health and history. We’ve built our own electronic medical record (EMR) specifically to tailor to in-home and virtual visits, and to provide a complete and accurate view of each patient for person-centered care and a great experience every time.

If you’d like to learn more about the convenience of in-person and virtual care, contact us any time!