Recognizing National Healthcare Quality Week: How Telehealth Improves The Quality Of Patient Care

This week is National Healthcare Quality Week, reminding us of the importance of quality health care and tools to achieve this. Telehealth has opened doors to greater quality of care by allowing providers to hold more consistent and frequent patient visits and utilize technology to enhance care. Telehealth has also increased access to care generally, as well as to specialists, among other benefits. Unfortunately, telehealth flexibilities are set to expire at the end of this year, and urgent action is needed to protect patient access to virtual care. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle understand the benefits of telehealth but must now take action to protect quality care.

Millions of patients, including many seniors, rely on virtual care. In 2024 Q1, telehealth was utilized by nearly 3 million Medicare beneficiaries, 83 percent of those over age 65. Telehealth brings the quality care that these patients would receive in a medical facility to the comfort of their own homes. This is extremely valuable for patients at greater risk of poor health conditions to be satisfied with their care. In a 2023 survey, over half of respondents reported increased satisfaction as a result of telehealth care, and 88 percent experienced increased or no change in satisfaction with their care through these services. Furthermore, studies continue to show that patients feel the same level of confidence in their physician and no significant differences in satisfaction between a telehealth consultation and an in-person visit.

Telehealth breaks through many traditional barriers to care, improving access for the most vulnerable patients. For example, many rural or otherwise underserved patients often lack access to specialists who can better treat and consult more complex health conditions. Telehealth allows skilled specialists – regardless of location – to treat patients who previously struggled with mobility, excessive travel times, or other obstacles that prevented these visits.

Providers also find value in virtual care and have noted its benefits in improving care quality and access—over 70 percent of physicians surveyed in one study were neutral or satisfied with telemedicine. Over 60 percent stated telemedicine was important for them, and 57 percent reported they saved more time by providing these services. It is clear that both patients and providers have found telehealth to be a valuable mode of care. To open the doors for further investment and innovation into telehealth, health care leaders need certainty on the long-term protection of these services. 

Telehealth improves the quality of care between patients and providers. Urgent action must be taken in Washington to safeguard virtual care permanently. Learn more about how Congress can act HERE.