How Digital Services Have Transformed Primary Care

One of the few silver linings to come out of the pandemic was the accelerated adoption of digital healthcare, particularly for the delivery of primary care services. Now that patients have embraced such technologies and are using them in anger, it’s time for more organisations to offer them as part of the employee benefits they offer, such as private medical insurance.

[Related reading: Supporting Employees Better With Tailored Benefits]

Primary Care Claims Up During Pandemic

Primary care services accounted for more than 40% of all health claims last year, the latest figures from a leading insurer show.

According to Vitality, over 100,000 digital consultations were carried out in 2021, including online GP appointments, digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and online physiotherapy. 

In fact, Vitality says it witnessed a 70% increase in adoption of its GP services between 2019 and 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic was, arguably, at its peak. Moreover, while younger individuals aged 25-40 were more likely to take advantage of such digital offerings, Vitality says it saw greater utilisation across all age groups, suggesting increased adoption across the board.

Dr Keith Klintworth, VitalityHealth managing director, explained that the data showed the difference introducing primary care services has made to members and underlines "how important it is to continue to push the boundaries of what PMI offers."

Meanwhile, Aon’s Benefits and Trends Survey 2022, also shows increased adoption of digital healthcare services across organisations. It found that 75% of employers now offer access to digital GP services, with 52% funding this service for all employees – up from 40% the previous year.

The Benefits Of Digital Healthcare Services

Perhaps the biggest benefit associated with digital healthcare services is the flexibility and convenience they afford. At a time when more and more people are taking advantage of flexible working arrangements – whether it be working remotely and/or starting and finishing at times better suited to them – any solution that makes accessing primary care easier is always going to be a hit.

Instead of needing to be away from work for half a day to see their GP, individuals can instead have a virtual consultation, which may only take 10-15 minutes. They can do this from the comfort of their own homes and do not need to invest additional time and money in travelling to a physical appointment. 

In addition, virtual appointments enable GPs to deal with cases more swiftly too. This frees up their time which can then be spent on patients who really need a face-to-face appointment, making the entire primary care system that bit more efficient.

[Related reading: How Does Private Healthcare Work?]

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Vitality’s data shows that more people are actively using digital offerings to afford more efficient and seamless primary care interactions. With hybrid working very much a core part of many organisation’s working arrangements, digital healthcare services that complement such working practices are highly beneficial. That’s why organisations should look to provide employee benefits like private medical insurance which allow access to digital solutions as part of their offering.