Technologies that support remote care make health systems strong and enable people to access healthcare in a variety of setups. We have covered numerous remote healthcare technologies here. For example, we covered this AI-powered device capable of taking important vitals for physicians who attend remote patients, and PeriWatch Vigilance to monitor mothers during delivery. Technologies supporting remote healthcare are great, but how much of healthcare could actually shift to remote setups?
A new report by McKinsey and Company has estimated from a survey of physicians who serve Medicare FFS and MA patients that care services worth $265 billion could shift to home by 2025. These numbers are specific to healthcare services under the US government’s Medicare program. The shift towards healthcare at home could be beneficial to healthcare facilities, physician groups, payers, Care at Home providers, investors, and even technology companies.
The survey report also discusses how pandemic-related factors promoted telehealth. About 40% of the survey population said they would continue to use telehealth. Keeping with the demand, new technologies are being introduced for remote care. By 2025, spending on in-home care is anticipated to grow by three to four times the current levels.
Some of the care services that could continue to shift to home include primary care, OPD consultations, urgent care, hospice, long-term care, infusions, and dialysis. At-home care could deliver higher-quality care, especially for the elderly, while letting them remain in a familiar and comfortable setting.
The survey estimates that about 25-35% primary care, 30-40% outpatient mental health and behavioral health visits, 20-25% outpatient specialist consultations, 20-30% acute care, and 15-20% emergency care could shift to home. Technology to offer these services already exists, and it’s only a matter of scaling them to serve larger numbers of patients.
