Five everyday healthcare services your clients can use at home
Published 22/10/2024
Whether it’s cancer risk assessments or speaking to a GP, getting access to care when we need it most is fundamental to our health. There are now an increasing range of digital diagnostics and treatments available to your clients in the palm of their hand, writes Athos Rushovich, Director of Specialist Health Sales Vitality.
When we think of 'digital healthcare', it might automatically conjure images of high-tech, futuristic gadgets and wearable health and wellbeing devices.
In many cases though, the future of healthcare is already here. As I described following my wife’s recent cancer scare, technology is increasingly being harnessed to improve patient experiences, speed up access to care and deliver better outcomes as part of a more seamless, integrated journey.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the expansion of everyday healthcare services and medical treatments offered by private medical insurance (PMI) plans, that are now available to us in the comfort of our homes and at the touch of a button.
What’s more, widening reach and a more digital approach to delivery is helping challenge traditional perceptions of PMI and broaden its appeal to new segments of customers, especially younger age groups.
With that in mind, here are five ways that digital technology is revolutionising everyday healthcare and making it easier for your clients to access the right treatment, when they need it.
1. Virtual GPs are evolving
It’s now the norm for a whole range of everyday services to be delivered digitally, from banking to the weekly food shop. The Covid pandemic accelerated this within the healthcare sector. However, even before that Vitality pioneered remote access to care through its Vitality GP service which first launched in 2015.
Between 2019 and 2023, Vitality has witnessed a sixfold increase in remote GP consultations being booked through the service . Unsurprising when we consider that access to private GPs ranks as the top feature consumers value from their health insurance, according to a recent survey2.
Despite that extra demand, 99% of consultations are delivered within 48 hours. And, thanks to effective triage processes, 52% of care requests can be effectively managed in an everyday care environment, without the need for an onward referral1.
When an onward referral is required – to see a consultant or into Vitality’s cancer diagnosis pathway – the patient can quickly and easily book consultations through Care Hub, ensuring a more efficient end-to-end journey.
2. Cancer risk assessments
With one in two people expected to receive a cancer diagnosis at some point during their life, it’s perhaps unsurprising that 85% of people cite wait times for cancer diagnosis and treatment as a key concern with the NHS and therefore a motivating factor for taking out PMI2.
When it comes to cancer, the chances of a positive treatment outcome are far better the earlier it’s detected. As we saw with Vitality member James’ story recently.
To further facilitate early intervention, Vitality’s online Cancer Risk Assessment service, launched in 2023, allows members to complete an online questionnaire to determine their risk levels for five of the most common cancers: breast, bowel, cervical, prostate and skin cancer. If they’re found to be at a high risk, they’re then offered further access to discounted in-person screening services.
Since its launch, over 14,000 members have completed a cancer risk assessment. Around 10% have then been directed to appropriate follow-up screening services1. The others received much-needed peace of mind.
3. Personalised health guidance
We know that a large percentage of the UK disease burden can be attributed to preventable illness, often caused by lifestyle factors, but that often people overestimate how healthy they are or worse still, simply ignore health risk factors.
Online health questionnaires can be an effective first step in tackling this and building a baseline picture of someone’s health and wellbeing. Vitality’s new digital Health Profile helps members better understand their overall health and the steps they can take to improve it.
Replacing the previous annual online health review, members can quickly and easily access Health Profile on the Vitality app. It only takes a few minutes to complete and once done, highlights to the member areas of their health they might need to improve.
Through the Vitality Programme, we see the remarkable results that surfacing this personalised health guidance and offering the relevant tools to help members can have. By engaging in the Vitality Programme, members record a 13% increase in physical activity and a 20% improvement in diet1.
4. Online therapy
Mental ill-health is a growing challenge for the UK. One in 10 people say that they experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, and one in five admitted to struggling with burnout3.
Talking Therapies – a service which has risen in demand fivefold since 20154 – provides a variety of therapies, including counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to guided self-help.
Clients with a qualifying health insurance plan can access up to eight online or face-to-face Talking Therapy sessions as part of their core plan per year. And, after leading the way in disregarding medical history for the service in 2022, we’ve seen a decrease in more severe mental illness claims due to early intervention1.
Using online therapy gives clients a quick and simple way to access licensed therapists and psychotherapists. Without the need to have to travel to appointments, this can also be done in the comfort of their own home, in a familiar environment that might feel safer.
5. Digital physiotherapy
Virtual physiotherapy offers an alternative way for clients to get support from a physiotherapist without the need for face-to-face visits.
Treating a wide range of conditions from back and joint pain to sports injuries, the goal is to relieve symptoms they’re experiencing and whilst this is traditionally done in person, a 2020 study found that digital treatment is just as effective as in-person treatment5.
The physiotherapists take a holistic approach to recovery and assess the client’s individual situation and provide personalised treatment, such as specific exercises to relieve pain and discomfort.
Where to next?
1 Vitality Health Claims Insights Report, 2024
2 Private Healthcare survey of 1,000 UK adults, Opinium, Vitality, May 2024
3 Britain’s Healthiest Workplace 2022, Vitality and RAND Europe
4 Vitality data, 2022
5 ‘Virtual Physiotherapy – An emerging discipline that can deliver better outcomes in some cases’, Ascenti, 2020