The Convergence of Virtual and Physical Care with Amwell’s Ido Schoenberg
May 17, 2021
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In this episode, Charles Rhyee speaks with Ido Schoenberg, Chairman and CEO of Amwell. They discuss how COVID has changed the perception of telehealth, how telehealth is evolving beyond on-demand care, and how Amwell's new platform, Converge, connects virtual care into the existing physical healthcare world to create a new model for care delivery.
Telehealth has gained broader recognition during the pandemic as a means of providing access to quality care, with 80% of providers in the United States now using telehealth compared to only 20% prior to COVID-19.
Converge, the next-generation telehealth platform developed by Amwell, focuses on the full continuum of care, from prevention to catastrophic care, offering integration, simplicity, and scalability worldwide.
Deep dives
The Evolution and Importance of Telehealth
Telehealth has gained broader recognition during the pandemic as a means of providing access to quality care. It has been growing and evolving for years before the pandemic, with more providers now incorporating virtual care into their practice. However, it should not replace the existing patient-provider relationship but rather complement it. The adoption of telehealth has significantly increased during the pandemic, with 80% of providers in the United States now using telehealth, compared to only 20% prior to COVID-19. While the current high adoption rate may decrease after the pandemic, the positive aspects of digital connectivity and the benefits it brings are likely to persist even more strongly in various aspects of healthcare.
The Potential and Future of Telehealth
Telehealth has shown its value and potential during the pandemic, leading to a shift in how healthcare is delivered. While video visits have been prevalent during the pandemic, they may not be the future norm. However, the adoption of digital connectivity in healthcare is expected to continue due to the many clinical and financial benefits it offers. People are discovering the advantages of digital connectivity and these capabilities will be utilized for other valuable purposes beyond the pandemic. Healthcare is different from other sectors, as the stakes are higher and the pace of change is slower. Nevertheless, the use of technology in healthcare is crucial to address the high cost of care, lack of access, and the need for complex care in an aging population.
Introducing Converge: The Next Generation Telehealth Platform
Converge is the next-generation telehealth platform that goes beyond video connectivity. It is designed to be an open, multi-tenant, cloud-based platform that can be integrated with existing assets. Converge encompasses traditional telehealth transactions, as well as longitudinal care, offering a singular user interface for all participants. Its modularity allows for scalability and easy replacement of components as technology advances. Converge focuses on the full continuum of care, from prevention to catastrophic care, providing integration, simplicity, and scalability worldwide. It serves as the connectivity and collaboration infrastructure for innovators to bring new value points to the healthcare ecosystem.
Automated Care and the Future of Healthcare
Programs OS, a part of Converge, aims to bring automation to healthcare. By leveraging technologies like machine learning and AI, it seeks to automate tasks in order to improve efficiency and make better use of providers' time. Automated care goes beyond simply replacing in-person visits with virtual ones. It involves collecting more data, gaining better insights, and rethinking care plans. The goal is to shift from reactive sick care to proactive preventive care. With constant digital connectivity, alerts can be raised sooner, diagnoses can be made quicker, and interventions can be customized to individual needs. The future of healthcare lies in connecting physical, virtual, and automated care to improve outcomes and efficiency.
In this episode, Cowen's Health Care Technology analyst Charles Rhyee speaks with Ido Schoenberg, MD, who is Chairman and CEO of Amwell and oversees the company’s corporate strategy. Since co-founding the company in 2006, with his brother Roy Schoenberg, Ido has led the company’s strategic direction, growing Amwell to become one of the largest telehealth companies in the world. With all the challenges and tragedy of the past year and more due to COVID, one of the few positives to come out from it was the broader recognition of telehealth’s ability to provide access to quality care, particularly in a time of great need. We discuss how COVID has changed the perception of telehealth, how telehealth is evolving beyond simply on-demand care, and how Amwell’s new platform, Converge, connects virtual care into the existing physical healthcare world to create a new model for care delivery.
Ido Schoenberg serves as the Chairman and CEO of Amwell and has a lengthy track record of successfully leading technology companies in the healthcare field. In 1996, together with Phyllis Gotlib, he co-founded iMDSoft, a provider of enterprise software that automates hospital critical care units. He grew the company into a market leader with a large multi-national install base in the U.S., Europe, and East Asia. In 2001, Ido joined CareKey Inc. as Chief Executive Officer and took the company through its acquisition by the TriZetto group. Ido served as TriZetto’s Chief Business Strategy Officer until his departure in the summer of 2006. Ido received his MD from the Sackler School of Medicine.
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