How digital tools are expanding access to healthcare

Unlocking the digital front door For a long time, basic access to healthcare has been very personal, with patients visiting their healthcare providers. The adaptation of digital access to healthcare has, however, been slow. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed that and accelerated digitalization throughout the healthcare system. Increasingly, the point of access to care has shifted. The primary access point to healthcare is increasingly becoming digital rather than a physical visit to a doctor. Whereas only 11% of patients in the U.S. used telehealth solutions in 2019, this number has jumped to close to 50% since the start of the pandemic.1 This paper looks at the rise of digital access points to healthcare, at how provider-patient interactions can be done digitally, and identifies five main areas which help to unlock digital front doors to healthcare.