As the world rapidly approaches the two-year anniversary of the first diagnosed case of Covid-19, a true hero has surfaced in the healthcare delivery space. The use of telemedicine has exploded during the past 18 months. While once considered a luxury, its use in more recent times has proven to be anything but, as patients seek healthcare in an insulated environment.
As a result of the recent telehealth boom, nurses have begun seeking remote opportunities in many roles such as direct patient care, clinical auditors, triage nurses and pre- and post-op staff. However, nurses are not the only clinical staff taking advantage of remote capabilities, as physicians such as intensivists and radiologists are also opting to sign into work from the comforts of their home offices. The demand to meet the needs of the talent has left hospital systems scrambling to keep up with this new staffing trend.
Widely attributable to the emergency relaxation of policy and payment barriers on the part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare reported a leap from 15,000 beneficiaries having received telehealth services per week at the start of 2020, to 24.5 million of the 60 million beneficiaries having participated in some form of telemedicine by the end of that year. With the introduction of additional covered services, and limited options to receive and administer care in a safe environment, came the acceptance of telemedicine as a viable access tool across all patient demographics and medical specialties.
In response to the spiked interest in telehealth nursing as a career path, nursing schools have begun launching certificate programs with concentrations in telehealth nursing. Ivy League nursing schools like those of Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania are among the first to offer certifications in this niche area. These programs, ranging from several hours to several weeks, aim to educate credentialed nurses on providing care in a virtual environment, as well as issues around reimbursement and technology. In some instances, continuing education credits are available for clinicians who complete the course. While these schools are on the cutting edge of this kind of program, more programs are expected to follow as providers and healthcare systems have pivoted throughout the pandemic and are now able to reach segments of patients who have historically been difficult to treat and/or monitor.
As more nurses are looking for more flexibility and remote work, and patient care visits and monitoring have continued to shift from in-person to digital, the demand for remote nursing roles will continue to increase and is expected to outlive the pandemic. What this means for staffing agencies and clinical recruiters is that, while Covid may have expedited the adoption of telemedicine, there are no indications that this trend will come to an end or even slow down. It is critical that agencies are able to shift to include telehealth nursing as a focus in order to meet the needs of the industry.
Growth in telehealth, in addition to other factors, were considerations in SIA’s prediction that the US healthcare staffing market will reach $24.7 billion this year. More details on SIA’s forecast can be found in our US Staffing Industry Forecast: September 2021 Update report. You can read more on our predictions here: US Staffing Industry Forecast: September 2021 Update.
