How Collaboration Tools Bring Doctors and Patients Closer

As virtual communication tools advance and become more prevalent among providers, it’s no surprise that patients expect a high standard when speaking with physicians from afar, especially during high-stress situations where the lives of loved ones could be at stake.

Healthcare leaders have become receptive to these needs, and the majority of them — 85 percent — say that digital innovation is tied to their long-term strategies to improve patient care, according to a 2017 report by the American Hospital Association and AVIA.

Telemedicine is a major component of that strategy. In a separate piece of research, the AHA states that 76 percent of U.S. hospitals currently connect with patients at a distance using video and other technologies. That’s up from 35 percent in 2010.