Less than 2% of Medicare recipients with chronic lung disease who would benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation receive it. This is a staggering statistic, especially when this intervention is proven to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital readmission rates, thereby easing the burden on our already overstretched healthcare system. Why then, are patients not receiving this insurance-reimbursable care that they deserve?
The reasons are many: a lack of nearby rehab facilities, the homebound status of patients, unreliable transportation, and more. But today, there should be no more excuses. With the advent of virtual care, we can bring access to those who need it most.
Virtual Care as a Scalable Solution
Out of the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic came the rapid expansion of virtual care to meet patients where they are. There is a common assumption that the elderly population resists technology and virtual care. But with easy-to-use platforms, data shows that patients are not only able to tolerate virtual care, but they can thrive with it.
Virtual care does not replace human interaction; rather, it expands our reach. In fact, data in the virtual pulmonary rehab space shows a 90% completion rate, compared to 58% for center-based programs. The more patients engage in preventive and maintenance care, the less likely they are to be hospitalized, saving them time and money while reducing strain on the broader healthcare system. Economic analyses have found compelling evidence as well: home-based rehab can save up to $10,000 per patient annually.
A Growing Crisis: The Silver Tsunami
By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be over the age of 65, ushering in a healthcare crisis we are not prepared to handle. Our current infrastructure simply isn’t equipped to meet the growing needs of an aging population. That’s why now- more than ever-we must leverage technology to improve outcomes and scale care.
Older Adults Are Adapting to Technology
The pandemic forced patients, providers, and caregivers to embrace new modes of care delivery. What we learned is that virtual care can not only work, but it can also exceed expectations. One study found that telehealth usage rose from 4.6% pre-pandemic to 21%. It also found that with information and communication technology (ICT) access, the typical negative effects of advanced age and lower income on healthcare access disappeared.
Despite assumptions about the elderly population’s ability to use technology, the data tells a different story. With the right tools and support, older adults are adapting. In doing so, they gain greater access to care, feel more empowered, and reduce their overall healthcare costs.
A Call to Action
Virtual care is here to stay, and we must not leave our most vulnerable populations without access to this life-saving resource. Providers, policymakers, and patient advocates must work together to ensure that virtual care remains available to those who need it most.
It is vital that CMS policy and guidelines enshrine virtual care into permanent legislation. Doing so will incentivize companies and health systems to expand access. Physicians should not assume their elderly patients are unwilling or unable to participate in virtual care. Many adapt quickly, and often find the virtual space a haven to combat the growing epidemic of loneliness when they are homebound.
Virtual care is not a convenience or a luxury – it is an opportunity to improve access, save lives, and extend the reach of our limited healthcare resources. The future of healthcare still rests in the caring hand of human touch, but technology must be used to stretch that hand even farther, toward those who need it most.
Micah Levine, MD
Micah Levine, MD, is a pulmonary and critical care physician based in Kansas City and Chief Medical Officer of PulmaCare, a virtual pulmonary rehab platform.
