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Asynchronous Telehealth Services Receive Widespread Support
In a recent survey of 1200 US adults, more than 2 in 3 respondents said they would support an expansion of asynchronous telehealth-based treatment options as demand for mental health services continues to climb.
The survey, which sought opinions on accessing healthcare and how care can be improved, was conducted in February and produced by telehealth company Hims & Hers in collaboration with the polling firm Public Opinion Strategies.
Asynchronous telehealth is defined as communication between patients and providers that does not take place simultaneously. Patient information is sent and then stored until providers have an opportunity to review and respond. The arrangement has proven beneficial for both bandwidth-challenged providers and patients, who can engage as their respective schedules allow.
Policy proposals to expand asynchronous telehealth have bipartisan support in the Hims & Hers survey, with 60% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats approving such legislation. Several other groups—70% of Hispanic adults, 76% of Black adults, 75% of those with Medicaid coverage—also expressed support, and 82% of healthcare workers surveyed said they totally support such measures.
The renewed focus on telehealth comes as demand for mental healthcare continues to rise. The Hims & Hers survey also found that just 38% of Americans report that their mental/emotional health is “excellent” or “very good,” compared to 52% in February 2021. Approximately 55% of survey respondents said they know someone who would benefit from receiving mental or behavioral health counseling. Furthermore, 91% said mental health issues are a problem in the US, with 59% saying mental health issues are a “very serious” problem.
The emergence of telehealth in recent years, fueled largely by social distancing directives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been well received by patients. More than half (55%) of respondents to the most recent Hims & Hers survey said they have had a telehealth visit (compared to just 10% of respondents surveyed in June 2019). Patient satisfaction for telehealth visits has remained high, with 91% of survey respondents saying they were satisfied with their most recent visit, an approval rate on par with the 89% who were satisfied with their telehealth visits in 2021.
“It’s clear that Americans have embraced telehealth and that it’s a hugely beneficial tool for many people seeking care,” the telehealth company wrote on Medium.com.
CMS Proposes Rule Change
At the outset of the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) implemented emergency rules to increase flexibilities to support providers and patient care, including one that allows clinical staff at hospital outpatient departments to provide behavioral healthcare services remotely. With the emergency rule changes set to expire once COVID-19 is no longer classified as a public health emergency, CMS has proposed a rule change for 2023 that continues payment for remote behavioral healthcare.
A 60-day comment period for CMS’s 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System proposed rule is underway.
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