Recent Study Suggests Use of Patient Navigators Improves Utilization of Telehealth

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – While telehealth may be one solution to accomplish treatment in the face of staffing issues, a recent survey of commercial policyholders suggests that telehealth is popular due to the convenience. 

According to a recent report from Helathleaders, 70 percent of the commercial policyholders polled stated they used telehealth because it’s more convenient, and 80 percent say it’s easier to seek out care. Around 50 percent turned to telehealth when they couldn’t get an in person appointment, and 24 percent used telehealth to save money. Fifty-six percent stated they used telehealth between two and five times within the past year, and 36 percent reported using telehealth only once. 

While many patients may embrace the use of virtual technology, telehealth is not without its hurdles. In addition to federal audits reflecting billing errors, and some studies suggest that it’s not necessarily ideal for all follow up care, there are other tangible barriers such as technology which can be largely dependent on both the physician and the patient. 

Similar to case managers, patient navigators are physician personal that work with patients to overcome barriers and understand the medical flow and process. In some cases, they are active members of an individual’s care team, and lay the groundwork on treatment.  Additionally, one of the roles for patient navigators is visit compliance. Some studies have suggested the use of patient navigators can expand access to healthcare for vulnerable patients that tend to underuse health services. 

Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts conducted an analysis of telehealth visit attendance for 2 US academic primary care clinics in 2021 to determine if patient navigators were associated with improved attendance to telehealth visits. 

For the study, the role of the navigator was to contact the patient 1 day prior to the video visit to address the required steps to connect for the visit and address frequently asked questions. Thirty-minute check-ins were done as well for 1 to 2 weeks as needed afterwards. Usual communication was used in the comparator group, with phone calls and texts.

The researchers found that over the course of the study, the use of the patient navigators was associated with reduced cancellations and no shows, increased the number of video visits, and produced a positive financial value. The researchers calculated that at $65 per RVU reimbursement, they gained 300 additional visits equating to $29,265. By comparison, using a $17,878 quarterly navigator salary, the return on investment was calculated at $11 387 over a 12-week period. 

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