The Digital Health Industry Is Changing Fast. Here's How to Keep Up

COVID-19 transformed the nature of digital health and virtual home care. Prior to the pandemic, few enrollees used telehealth services provided by their insurance plans. As early as the last week of March 2020, telehealth usage shot up 154% compared to the same week in March 2019. One U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study showed a 63% increase in Medicare telehealth use during the pandemic. Digital health companies can build on the rapidly changing virtual care landscape and increased consumer comfort with digital health initiatives.  

Smart digital health leaders have cracked the virtual care code in key areas 

Many digital healthcare startups, including telehealth therapy and psychiatry, pharmacy services, and other prescription and over-the-counter drug services, have already found great success in the new virtual care landscape. Talkspace provides a psychiatry network whose doctors can prescribe mental health medications. Capsule Pharmacy lets patients manage refills and new prescriptions via phone and delivers to their home. Wellness companies like Hims & Hers improve access to certain prescriptions through a telehealth platform. By 2028, the global digital health market size is expected to reach USD 295.4 billion. 

Current friction points limit the effectiveness of digital health improvements  

Despite huge growth, digital health companies are limited by incomplete virtual care cycles. 70% of today’s medical decisions depend on laboratory test results. Digital health companies who want to offer products dependent on lab results or other medical services need to incorporate lab testing. However, asking customers to visit a traditional in-person lab disrupts the otherwise totally virtual care cycle. How can digital health improve outcomes if it relies on outdated methods to collect patient samples? Digital health companies can benefit immensely from adapting telehealth platforms that accommodate home diagnostics. 

Home diagnostics can take us all the way 

When partnered with digital health companies, home diagnostics have the potential to transform virtual care. It lets customers complete the care cycle at home to access digital health products and services. At Ash Wellness, we produce white-labeled kits that can collect sample urine, serum, stool, saliva, and blood. Our in-house lab API  lets us provide over 120 diagnostic tests — ready to be partnered with products — to users without multiple tedious lab integrations. We offer physician of record services in all states to approve at-home diagnostics quickly and efficiently. Our billing and payer management services allow your customers to bill most major insurance companies and Medicaid/Medicare in 46 states. We help our digital health and virtual care partners shift to fully remote at-home diagnostic testing. 

Ash Wellness is a healthcare accelerator. We help digital health companies onboard at-home diagnostic testing in a matter of weeks. Schedule a time to chat. 

‍