5 Surprising Reasons You Should Be Offering Video Chat to Your Patients

We’ve spoken a lot about how patients benefit from Live Online Engagement, but you may be wondering about the profits for healthcare providers and their organizations. Video chat is one of the most popular forms of tele-health and we’re here to address some surprising facts about Live Video Engagement for health professionals who are considering using it.

Cultural & language differences are easier to overcome with live video experiences
There are about 24 different dialects in the United States alone[1] and research shows that differences in accents have significant impact on the way communication is interpreted. Important pieces of information can be lost over the phone and patients may misunderstand medical directions or treatment advice.

Vee24’s Live Video Chat alleviates the communication gap caused by accents and geography by augmenting voice input with body language signals. Additionally, health professionals are able to guide the patient through administering their medication; instructions are clear and concise while reducing the chance of the patient mishearing guidelines over the phone.

Replicate in-person appointments for less
With Vee24’s Live Engagement Platform, health professionals can take all visits right from their office or home. There’s no need for additional rooms, wait times, or staffing, which all incur significant expenses. The average cost per in-person visits is $125, while the average cost for a tele-health visit is around $45[2]. Patients are able to show off any physical medical concerns throughout the engagement, and doctors or nurses can demonstrate how to oversee medication or devices. Live video chat is the closest alternative to an in-person visit, but with a fraction of the cost. In fact, a recent study showed that there were no differences in care quality between the in-person visit and the tele-health visit[3].

Video can have a calming effect on dissatisfied patients
The process of scheduling a visit with a healthcare provider can be frustrating for patients with who are dealing with extended wait times, inflexible appointment times, and unfamiliarity with medication and diagnoses. It’s much easier to get irritated with someone over the phone than it is when you’re seeing them face to face and can read their facial expressions and body language. Vee24’s Live Engagement platform allows patients to see the admin who’s scheduling their appointment, and the doctor or nurse who’s prescribing their medication. Should a patient be dissatisfied, the health professionals can convey care and empathy through live video. Improved satisfaction scores for patients were the biggest tele-health ROI cited by healthcare executives in a 2018 study[4]. Some patients even felt more comfortable with video visits than office visits and requested future appoints via live video chat, because they could be in their own supportive environment[5].

The aging population values live video assistance
Contrary to popular belief, millennials aren’t the only demographic to engage new digital technologies. In fact, almost 60% of patients 65 or older are willing to manage a chronic condition with a tele-health visit[6]. According to a recent study titled “Older adults and technology; in telehealth, they may not be who you think they are”, results showed that many older patients demonstrated flexibility and interest in the innovative use of technology[7].

The Vee24 Live Engagement Platform is particularly helpful for novice technology users who are just learning how to operate a computer or mobile device. With a simple click of a button, the patient can video chat with a live agent, who can then guide them through the rest of the appointment without any further requirements from the patient.

Tele-medicine has been expected to attract 7M patient users in 2018
The market value for tele-health is set to hit $36.2 billion by 2020, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14.3 percent between 2014 and 2020[8]. Patients are beginning to expect the option to meet with their healthcare provider via live video chat and are willing to switch to a new provider to obtain the option to meet virtually. Patients’ needs are evolving and now’s the time to invest in more efficient, satisfying health care through Vee24’s Live Video Chat.