According to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), “more than 50% of health care services will be consumed virtually by 2030.” Like any valuable service, it will only work to the extent that the support required to make it succeed is there in the first place.

That is why virtual nurses, a critical extension of the greater nursing team, are both the heart and soul of healthcare’s future. The heart and soul refer to those most vital priorities of the patient experience. It’s no coincidence that “vital” is literally in our name.

Virtual nurses bridge the gap between patients and healthcare providers, extending the reach, impact and efficiency by which essential care is delivered. They are the “health” part of “telehealth”. Think of virtual nurses as the key to healthcare optimization – workflow, patient care and results.

Accessibility: Virtual care is crucial to address healthcare accessibility and Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). Regardless of geography or individual ability/mobility, patients and their caregivers can connect with nurses easily from wherever they happen to be, reducing the need for multiple visits, waits, or travel.

Care Continuity: Virtual nurses enable patients to stay connected with their healthcare providers between in-person visits so health status can be routinely monitored, education and support is more easily available, and interventions that may be required are identified earlier, optimizing the steps required for better health outcomes and avoiding hospital readmissions.

Disease and Chronic Condition Management: Virtual nurses provide invaluable support to patients as they navigate their health on a day-to-day basis, assisting with patients with medication, lifestyle recommendations, monitoring symptoms, and providing early intervention for exacerbations, helping to prevent complications and improve quality of life.

Patient Education and Empowerment: Virtual nurses empowers patients to take an active role in their own with personalized education, resources, and guidance. This can positively impact patients by having more knowledge about their conditions, medications, and even self-care strategies for more effective management of conditions and confident decision making.

Scalability and Efficiency: Virtual nurses are an extension of the nursing team, perhaps the most significant role of all given the increased expectations that are put on an ever-burdened critical resource. This optimizes the entire team by allowing for scalability for healthcare services to a larger cohort of patients while minimizing the risk of exposure and preserving resources. They can conduct virtual assessments, triage patients, and provide timely interventions, optimizing efficiency and resource allocation. This means significant cost savings, as well.

There has never been a more important time to realize the significant role that virtual nurses play to nursing teams to optimize the path toward better patient care and outcomes. Telehealth is more than simply using a device to speak with a provider. We must not ever forget the “health” part of the term and that is why virtual nurses are truly the heart and soul of healthcare’s future.

To learn more or schedule a demo, contact us today at info@vitalchat.com.

Nurse Simply.