Philips and ATA work to extend the reach of virtual care beyond the pandemic

The past fifteen months have shed significant light on the growing need to extend the reach of patient care beyond the hospital and into the home. At last year’s American Telemedicine Association (ATA) conference, many attendees were just beginning to examine and understand the impact that a global pandemic can have on an evolving healthcare industry. This year, Philips is highlighting its ongoing collaboration with the ATA to help further the adoption of virtual care across the industry, demonstrating a commitment to connecting care across acute, post-acute and homecare settings alike.

With the consumerization of healthcare and persistent challenges related to care access, care delivery settings are changing. The expanding options in telemedicine offer a paradigm shift, helping to deliver expert care to the patient remotely rather than always requiring the patient to travel to visit a clinician. With support from Philips, the ATA is advocating for favorable telehealth policy at both the Federal and state levels to protect access to such care as the world begins to move beyond the pandemic, helping to create sustainable change. At this year’s virtual ATA 2021 conference, Philips will participate in discussions that highlight developments in virtual care solutions that span the health continuum, allowing caregivers to extend when, where and how patient care is delivered.

 “The pandemic has brought to light the important role telehealth can and must play in healthcare, to create a hybrid or two-channel delivery system that appropriately balances in-person and virtual care. We commend the commitment Philips has made to helping healthcare organizations successfully implement telehealth services, with a strong focus on patient-centered care, as well as their vision in navigating the future of care delivery,” said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO, the ATA. “Philips is a leader in the industry, so we are pleased to feature their important work, insights and innovation at ATA2021.”

“The pandemic forced some healthcare organizations to build the plane while flying it, urgently implementing telehealth to supplement in-person care,” said Karsten Russell-Wood, Portfolio Leader, Post-Acute and Home Care at Philips. “We’re investing in helping healthcare organizations to stabilize their infrastructures, revisiting the technologies deployed and workflows put into place in times of crisis and transform them into standard practices. By continuing our collaboration with the ATA and relying on one another’s breadth of telehealth experience, we’re committing to help pave a path forward for this critical moment in the expansion of virtual care.”

Even in a pre-pandemic environment, healthcare organizations realized the value of telemedicine. But this past year has led to developments in virtual care delivery and a changing reimbursement landscape which has accelerated the options available to industry professionals to help meet the demands of the modern healthcare consumer. Acute patients who traditionally needed an inpatient admission to the hospital and required consistent rounding by a physician, can now receive care via connected solutions that can monitor the patient at home, helping to free clinicians from the bedside and create more efficient workstreams.

COVID-19 unveiled that, with the right tools, extending care outside the hospital is not only feasible, but in many cases, preferred. Philips Future Health Index 2021 Report, which surveyed nearly 3,000 healthcare leaders across 14 countries, found that healthcare leaders expect an average of 23% of routine care to take place outside of the hospital walls within three years. One of the new frontiers will be extending real-time care to those with acute needs.

To further address this transformation in care delivery and address the ongoing challenges still faced today as virtual care adoption continues to grow, Philips will participate in three expert sessions at this year’s ATA conference:

1)     Is Hospital at Home the Future?: Opportunity, Challenges and Policy Concerns (Tuesday, June 8, 12:10 PM - 12:40 PM EST) The pandemic has catalyzed new thinking around care delivery. One of the most promising options is the opportunity for a sustainable business model that allows care for patients at home rather than in a hospital setting.

Dr. Zenobia Brown, VP and Medical Director, Population Health at Northwell Health

Dr. Alan Pitt, Professor of Neuroradiology, Barrow Neurological Institute

Eric Rock, Founder and CEO, Vivify Health

Karsten Russell-Wood, Portfolio Leader, Post-Acute and Home Care at Philips

Robin Shepherd, Chief Nursing Officer, West Region ComonSpirit Health

2)     MeCare: The Engaged Consumer Changing the Journey of Health and Care (Tuesday, June 15, 12:10PM – 12:40PM EST) Life operations are being digitized. Consumerism and online adoption have altered our banking, retail and communication experiences as well as increase our acceptance of virtual engagement for health-related encounters, such as telehealth and e-pharmacy. Through this session, the patient/consumer at the center of care will be rationalized and reviewed relative to how technology can connect the patient, the provider, and the payor to improve outcomes.

Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, Health Economist Advisor, Trend Weaver, owner and author at THINK-Health and Health Populi

Karsten Russell-Wood, Portfolio Leader, Post-Acute and Home Care at Philips 
Manish Wadhwa, Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, BioTelemetry

3)     The Next Wave of Retail Disruption (June 17, 1:40-2:10pm EST) Explores what’s next in retail disruption, what this means for healthcare, and the mindsets of leadership to reimagine this next turn. Moderated by Alex Drane, who believes retail is the front line of health, you’ll also hear from:

Deborah DiSanzo, President, Best Buy Health, recognized thought leader in artificial intelligence and big data, with experience in running businesses known for their innovation in health care

Marcus Osborne, Senior VP, Walmart Health, focused on providing quality healthcare that is both affordable and accessible for consumers and payers

Shez Partovi, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer, Royal Philips, an experienced clinical professor, neuroradiologist, global executive and entrepreneur with a track record of leading large health systems, cloud transformation and AI and machine learning in healthcare, life sciences and genomics

The ATA conference will take place virtually, on Tuesdays and Thursdays in June. Participants will have access to keynote discussions and panel sessions ranging in topis from interoperability and cybersecurity, to population health management, and remote patient monitoring. You can find the full program and further details here. In addition to speaking engagements at the 2021 virtual conference, Philips collaboration with the ATA continues to grow in 2021 through its involvement in the Future-of-Telehealth CEO advisory group and its position as founding partner of Telehealth Awareness Week (September 19-25, 2021).

To learn more about Philips virtual care solutions and their impact on supporting transitions of care, visit Philips.com.