Done well, virtual-first care seamlessly expands access and keeps patients within an integrated network of care
By Michael Dalton, Founder and CEO
It is harder than ever for health systems to attract and retain patients. Major changes to health coverage and competing offerings from direct-to-consumer care companies that serve employers and payers make it easy to get care from anywhere. This is no small challenge. Patient leakage threatens the financial health of systems already operating on razor-thin margins, as well as to the goal of providing patients with high-quality, coordinated care across their health journeys.
But there is a powerful way health systems can respond. When virtual-first services like virtual primary care are thoughtfully integrated into a health system’s existing care delivery models, they can fortify the system’s ability to curb leakage and instead generate patient “keepage” by growing downstream referrals and revenue while strengthening care continuity.
What We Mean by “Patient Keepage”
Patient keepage is the extent to which patients continue to receive care within a health system or network rather than seeking care elsewhere—the opposite of patient leakage. Improving keepage requires two things: (1) making it as easy as possible for patients to access needed services within the system and (2) ensuring those services are connected and coordinated to their existing care journey at their trusted health system. In short, keepage isn’t just about increasing access and undirected referrals. It’s about creating a closed-loop, low-friction follow-through so patients complete care in-network.
Delivering Virtual Care That is Local: What It Looks Like In Practice
Too often, virtual care offerings operate in a silo, disconnected from the rest of a patient’s care journey, including their in-person care. When building a virtual-first care strategy grounded in trust, it is critical that the care not be virtual-only. Care teams should be fully integrated with a health system’s in-person care team, leveraging the health system’s EMR and working together to achieve positive patient outcomes. It’s also essential that virtual providers understand your community, your health system, its services and the resources available there.
At Ovatient, we have led the development and implementation of successful virtual-first care strategies for health systems like MUSC Health in Charleston, S.C. and The MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio. We employ a full-time virtual care team that works in the health system’s EMR and delivers care through the health system’s existing pathways, including their website and provider directories, patient portals and access centers.
We enable patients to self-schedule virtual-first urgent, primary care and integrated behavioral health appointments that are fully integrated within patients’ care. Because we are EMR-native, all our data is shared seamlessly with patients’ care teams.
And our approach goes beyond just technology. All of our providers are credentialed by the health systems we serve, follow the same policies and procedures, and are aligned to the same quality metrics. Even though our care team members live across the country, we provide comprehensive training so they become familiar with the communities they serve, right down to the neighborhood level. Our care is virtual-first, but local always.
Prioritizing Patient Preference and Future-Proofing Care Delivery
Research shows virtual care remains an integral part of health care delivery in the United States. Virtual-first care represents the next step in health care innovation. Virtual-first care is not just an add-on service delivered in a silo but an integrated strategy health systems can deploy to sustain their growth and strengthen relationships with patients for the future.
Health systems that prioritize patient preference by allowing them to go virtual-first for their care also gain a competitive advantage. A virtual-first healthcare approach can future-proof care delivery for health systems, helping them regain competitive ground in an increasingly diverse and disconnected digital marketplace.
