How should UW Health balance expanding telehealth services to reach more patients versus maintaining in-person care quality at existing clinics?

Introduction

The challenge at hand is balancing UW Health's expansion of telehealth services to reach more patients while maintaining in-person care quality at existing clinics. This scenario involves weighing the benefits of increased accessibility through telehealth against potential impacts on traditional care delivery. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining key factors, metrics, and potential outcomes to provide a strategic recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming UW Health is experiencing increased demand for telehealth. Could you provide more details on the current telehealth adoption rate and patient satisfaction levels?

Why it matters: Helps gauge the urgency and potential impact of expanding telehealth. Expected answer: Moderate adoption with high satisfaction among users. Impact on approach: Higher adoption would justify faster expansion.

• Business Context: Based on healthcare trends, I'm thinking telehealth might be a key growth driver. How does telehealth expansion align with UW Health's strategic priorities and revenue model?

Why it matters: Ensures alignment with overall business strategy. Expected answer: High priority, seen as future of care delivery. Impact on approach: Would justify more resources for telehealth expansion.

• User Impact: Considering patient demographics, I'm curious about which patient segments are most affected by this decision. Can you share insights on patient preferences for telehealth vs. in-person care across different age groups or medical conditions?

Why it matters: Helps tailor the solution to meet diverse patient needs. Expected answer: Younger patients and those with chronic conditions prefer telehealth. Impact on approach: Would influence how we balance and market different care options.

• Technical: Given the importance of reliable technology for telehealth, what's our current technical infrastructure's capacity to handle increased telehealth traffic?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility and scalability of telehealth expansion. Expected answer: Current system can handle 2x current load. Impact on approach: Would influence the pace and scale of telehealth rollout.

• Resource: Considering the dual focus, how are our medical staff currently split between telehealth and in-person care, and what's our capacity to train or hire for telehealth roles?

Why it matters: Affects our ability to staff both telehealth and in-person care effectively. Expected answer: 20% of staff trained for telehealth, with plans to increase. Impact on approach: Would determine the speed of telehealth expansion and potential impact on in-person care.