The Effect of Telehealth Services on Provider Productivity.
Journal
Medical care
ISSN: 1537-1948
Titre abrégé: Med Care
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0230027
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 05 2021
01 05 2021
Historique:
entrez:
6
4
2021
pubmed:
7
4
2021
medline:
22
4
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Telehealth services historically have played a small role in the provision of health care in the United States. However during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public and private insurers rapidly expanded access to telehealth in order to reduce exposure and avoid transmission. It is unknown whether telehealth will become a more regular substitute for in-person care beyond the pandemic. Our objective was to provide evidence on the value of telehealth by comparing the productivity of physicians and other specialized clinicians who provide telehealth with the productivity of those who do not. We conducted a retrospective data analysis of 17,705 unique providers in the areas of internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, psychiatry, psychology, and optometry practicing in the US veterans affairs health care system during the period 2015 to 2018. For each year, we measured individual providers productivity by the total number of relative value units (RVUs) per full-time equivalent (FTE). We estimated the impact of providing telehealth on RVUs/FTE using fixed effects regression models estimated on a panel dataset of 58,873 provider-year observations and controlling for provider and patient characteristics. Overall provider productivity increased in veterans affairs over the period, particularly in cardiology and dermatology. Providers of telehealth had above average productivity by 124 RVUs/FTE, or ∼4% of average total provider productivity. For the highest quartile of telehealth providers, average productivity was 188 RVUs/FTE higher than productivity of other providers. Strategies that encourage long-term integration of telehealth into provider practices may contribute to overall health care value.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Telehealth services historically have played a small role in the provision of health care in the United States. However during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public and private insurers rapidly expanded access to telehealth in order to reduce exposure and avoid transmission. It is unknown whether telehealth will become a more regular substitute for in-person care beyond the pandemic.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to provide evidence on the value of telehealth by comparing the productivity of physicians and other specialized clinicians who provide telehealth with the productivity of those who do not.
RESEARCH DESIGN
We conducted a retrospective data analysis of 17,705 unique providers in the areas of internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, psychiatry, psychology, and optometry practicing in the US veterans affairs health care system during the period 2015 to 2018. For each year, we measured individual providers productivity by the total number of relative value units (RVUs) per full-time equivalent (FTE). We estimated the impact of providing telehealth on RVUs/FTE using fixed effects regression models estimated on a panel dataset of 58,873 provider-year observations and controlling for provider and patient characteristics.
RESULTS
Overall provider productivity increased in veterans affairs over the period, particularly in cardiology and dermatology. Providers of telehealth had above average productivity by 124 RVUs/FTE, or ∼4% of average total provider productivity. For the highest quartile of telehealth providers, average productivity was 188 RVUs/FTE higher than productivity of other providers.
CONCLUSION
Strategies that encourage long-term integration of telehealth into provider practices may contribute to overall health care value.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33821831
doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001529
pii: 00005650-202105000-00013
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
456-460Subventions
Organisme : US Department of Veterans Affairs
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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