The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic expands its digital and virtual care strategy

Elevating Healthcare Access: The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic's Bold Expansion into Digital and Virtual Care

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The Cleveland Clinic and telemedicine technology and services vendor Amwell famously partnered to create The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, which provides virtual second opinions and now other healthcare offerings.

Recently, the two organizations have been discussing an overarching digital strategy, as well as how healthcare provider organizations need to be working to create a differentiated virtual care experience – a competitive one.

We’re using telehealth in more profound ways than we did before or even during the pandemic. Today, applications for virtual care range from post-discharge care after surgery to specialty care and support for those with chronic conditions or complex diseases, like cancer. Now we’re taking what we’ve learned and applying it to our partnership with The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic for virtual second opinions.

Since The Clinic was founded in 2021, Amwell’s telehealth technology has powered virtual second opinions delivered by Cleveland Clinic physicians worldwide. Access to second opinions is vital because medical misdiagnosis are more common than you might think. In fact, one out of 10 people with cancer or who have suffered from a major vascular event or an infection will be misdiagnosed. Amwell’s Converge platform empowers The Clinic to connect patients with the precise specialist for their condition, anywhere around the globe. It’s improving health outcomes and saving lives.

In The Clinic’s experience, when treatment plans are reviewed by an expert, 72% of treatment plans are modified after analysis. For some, this helps avoid the trauma, expense and cost of unnecessary surgery. It also can reduce the risk of undertreatment, which worsens health outcomes over time. But virtual care for those who need second opinions isn’t just limited to a visit with a specialist. It also supports pre-visit preparation to ensure patients and families are ready for their appointment. The Clinic leverages Amwell's automated care system to conduct telehealth preparation chats with patients and families before their visit.

It’s an approach that delivers value for everyone involved and it facilitates more informed discussions. It also helps patients feel more comfortable from the start of the visit, where a tremendous amount of learning takes place. 

A hybrid care model that combines in-person, virtual and automated care holds the greatest potential to transform care delivery and change lives. But few health systems are prepared to use this model to differentiate their patient experience. Unless they move to close this gap, they will struggle to compete in a disruptive care environment. Ultimately, these health systems will be set back in the fight for healthcare talent and patient mindshare. Consider the extent to which employers and health plans are pouring resources into virtual primary care. Today, 40% of employers plan to implement a virtual primary care benefit model this year, according to Mercer.

In the next five years, we’ll see the integration of AI-powered, automated care on a large scale that will improve care quality and outcomes and reduce costs for transformational change. It’s a model that will remove barriers to condition-appropriate, cost-effective care and create a more sustainable and powerful care delivery system, the impact of which will be felt for years to come. By connecting patients who need care advice with automated support before their next scheduled visit, we can strengthen care quality and reduce costs while improving the care experience.

Published on : 04th August, 2023