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Did you know there are different categories of telehealth that reported skyrocketed use during the Covid-19 pandemic? The two main ones, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are synchronous and asynchronous telehealth.
Synchronous telehealth is a virtual interaction between a patient and a provider that takes place in real time, like a video call, audio call, or secure text messaging. It usually results in a provider giving a patient a diagnosis, treatment plan, or prescription, according to HHS.
Asynchronous telehealth, on the other hand, is a virtual interaction between a patient and a provider that doesn’t take place in real time. This type of telehealth is also called “store and forward.”
Asynchronous telehealth is generally used for patient intake purposes or follow-up care, according to HHS. An example would be a patient sending a picture of a skin rash for their doctor to review, or a provider messaging a patient follow-up care instructions or lab results.
Within asynchronous telehealth are two subcategories: mobile health (also called mHealth), and remote patient monitoring, or RPM.
Mobile health involves using a device such as a smartphone or a wearable device (like an Apple Watch) to support a patient’s health and transmit health data between a patient and their provider.
Remote patient monitoring involves transferring patient data from a medical device, like a blood pressure monitor or a pacemaker, to a provider.
Both synchronous and asynchronous telehealth have benefits for providers and patients. Synchronous telehealth has been shown to reduce the number of no-show patients, shorten the wait time for patients to see their provider, and give doctor’s offices the chance to increase revenue, according to HHS.
Asynchronous telehealth can save providers time when it comes to patient intake processes, give providers a more flexible schedule, and make patient care more efficient, according to HHS.
Telehealth’s popularity is likely only going to rise, with experts predicting that it will get easier to use and that more than half of US patients will utilize it within the next five years or so.