Virtual care services could take pressure off ER use
BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Sep 30, 2016 | 3:57 pm
2 min read time
423 wordsAll Latest News, Health and Wellness
More than a year after two of Iowa’s largest health systems introduced virtual care services, a majority of Iowans say they’re not familiar with the concept. Getting more people familiar with services that connect them at home with a provider for simple conditions could save them and the health system money by reducing emergency room visits, according to a new study by the University of Iowa.
The 2016 survey of 528 Iowans from both urban and rural areas showed that more than half (54 percent) were unfamiliar with the concept of virtual health care — care that’s delivered by computer or smartphone without an appointment.
And in a recent survey asking Iowans how they receive urgent care, 1 in 10 respondents (9.7 percent) said they used a hospital emergency room for themselves or a child for a relatively minor condition, such as a cold or flu, earache, or pinkeye in the past two years.
At least two virtual care services have been launched by Iowa health care systems in the past year. UIeCare, one of Iowa’s first virtual care services, makes it possible for Iowans to see a UI Health Care-credentialed provider from anywhere in Iowa at any time. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics started the service in May 2015. In Central Iowa, UnityPoint Health introduced its virtual care service, MDLive, in June 2015.
“Virtual health care is making it easier and more convenient for any Iowan to visit a doctor,” said Dr. Patrick Brophy, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa. “But along with making people’s lives easier, the new service provides access to Iowans who may not have health care options near their homes — access that’s more cost-effective than emergency care options.”
Brophy, the medical director of UIeCare, commissioned the survey to understand Iowans’ attitudes about receiving care at home through a computer or smartphone.
According to the survey, 90 percent of Iowans in urban areas have access to urgent care within 20 minutes of home, but nearly one-third (32 percent) of Iowans in rural areas lack that access to urgent care. Iowans throughout the state expressed an appreciation of the convenience of online doctor visits.
“No one wants to leave the house when they aren’t feeling well. Iowans with sick kids or who have difficulty traveling will find the virtual care service very beneficial,” Brophy said. “Many of the common illnesses for which people routinely visit the doctor can easily be taken care of with a virtual care visit from the comfort of home.”
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