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FIRST STATE CONTINUES TO INNOVATE IN TELEHEALTH
BY KATIE TABELING
Telehealth has changed how doctors can see their patients, and Delaware health care systems are leaning into innovative partnerships within the community and other experts to refine care.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay at home, hospitals were forced to pause many non-emergency surgeries but ramped up their virtual offerings. That pushed the value of the telehealth market at $83 billion in 2020 – and it’s expected to reach $319 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate, according to the Business Research Company.
“Home is the venue of new care,
but it’s also about going to where the patient is, and making health care more accessible for everyone,” said Dr. Sarah Schenck, medical director of virtualist medicine for ChristianaCare’s Center for Virtual Health.
ChristianaCare’s Endia Jackson, medical assistant, and Dr. Janine Jordan virtually connect with patients to provide care. | PHOTO COURTESY
OF CHRISTIANACARE
Newark-based ChristianaCare saw 168,000 users for its online portal system, used to talk with doctors and nurse practitioners via a secure email in 2020. From March to December 2020, the largest hospital system in Delaware held 183,000 video visits with patients. The foundation for telehealth was laid in 2005, and it helped position the hospital to treat patients in a new frontier.
Throughout the year, doctors have been able to see patients in their homes and
learn more about their environments. But through asynchronous care – or where there is no real-time interaction between doctor and patient – it’s possible for patients to be in contact with their doctor more frequently and receive more consistent treatment.
Beebe Healthcare in southern Delaware has also used telehealth before the pandemic, but noted that
it accelerated the need for additional options. Earlier this year, Beebe unveiled its Hospital at Home program, providing select patients with a computer tablet and select medical equipment.
In 2020, Beebe also invested in
a robotic teleconferencing unit in
its emergency room through its partnership with the Thomas Jefferson Neuroscience Network. Around the clock, neurologists speak directly
to Beebe’s team, the patient with a suspected stroke, and family members via secure video conference technology.
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