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Making Care More Convenient and Accessible with Telehealth Offerings

August 14, 2018 | Virtual Care

Patients seek convenience and ease in how they access health services. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Morning Consult and sponsored by CVS Health revealed that 59 percent of Americans view the ability to receive same-day care as very important. Underscoring how real-time care can help improve individual health outcomes, respondents ranked “extended hours” as one of the top factors that would have the greatest impact on their health.

At CVS Health, we are expanding our telehealth offerings to help patients conveniently manage minor illnesses and injuries, skin conditions and other wellness needs. In doing so, we’re increasing access to affordable health care by making this service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

MinuteClinic Video Visit: Care on Demand

Technological solutions have the power to simplify health care and expand options for when and where patients can receive care. MinuteClinic, our retail medical clinic, launched a virtual health care offering for patients that will directly connect patients to providers via mobile phone.

Through a real-time, mobile interaction, the provider will assess the patient’s condition and determine the appropriate course of treatment following evidence-based clinical care guidelines. For patients who require a prescription as part of their treatment plan, the provider will submit the prescription to the patient’s preferred pharmacy.

If it is determined the patient should be seen in person for follow-up care or testing, the provider will recommend that the patient visit a health care provider in their community, such as their primary care provider or a nearby MinuteClinic.

The Intersection of Convenience, Quality and Affordability

At CVS Health, we’re constantly looking for ways to simplify health care while simultaneously delivering high-quality care that our patients expect. That’s why MinuteClinic has been testing telehealth as a method of increasing access to care in recent years. During the initial phase of testing, a CVS Health study found that 95 percent of patients who opted to receive a telehealth visit were highly satisfied with the quality of care they received. In the same study, 95 percent of patients were satisfied with the convenience of using the telehealth service and the overall telehealth experience. Those results motivated us to create the virtual care offering available in nine states today and expected to be available nationwide, where allowed, by the end of 2018.

We’re also committed to helping patients find more affordable care and reduce the need for more costly services, such as emergency room visits. The MinuteClinic Video Visit costs $59, and is currently payable by credit card or debit card with insurance coverage added in the coming months.

For more information about CVS Health’s efforts to improve access to quality care across the nation, visit our Quality & Access information center and the CVS Health Impact Dashboard. To stay informed about the latest updates and innovations from CVS Health, register for content alerts and our bi-weekly health care newsletter.