Article

IS Hybrid Healthcare THE WAY OF THE FUTURE?

February 25, 2025
Man and child during a virtual doctor's appointment.
Facing an expected 8% rise in healthcare costs, non-acute care facilities can implement a beneficial model to address what PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute says is the highest increase since 2012.

Hybrid healthcare bridges the gap between in-person patient visits and online doctor visits, providing an alternative to traditional non-acute care. This hybrid model can modernize how patients access care, offering both in-office appointments and telehealth to allow patients to choose how they interact with their provider and receive care.

Hybrid not only refers to patient care options but also to where employees work. A hybrid environment can give staff the convenience of working remotely either full or part time, and with this dual model, non-acute facilities can see a range of benefits, including higher patient and employee satisfaction.

A HYBRID MODEL DELIVERS STRONG RETURNS

The COVID-19 pandemic, which required many employees to work from home and delayed in-person visits for some patients, was the impetus for facilities to move toward a hybrid model. 

What may be surprising for some healthcare executives is that at least one study found that hybrid work benefits both companies and employees, with staff working from home two days a week being just as productive, as likely to get promoted and far less likely to quit as those who work in the office every day.
 
While conventional wisdom maintained that employees needed to be present in the office to deliver their full value, the pandemic proved otherwise. In fact, morale improved for 86% of medical practices that moved toward a hybrid model.
 
“Most medical practices using a hybrid or remote working model began doing so during the pandemic (83%), but have no plans to stop anytime soon,” according to Software Advice.  “They’ve discovered a great thing that increases revenue, productivity and employee morale, and 67% plan to allow employees to work remotely indefinitely.”

Software Advice found that:

  • 89% of facilities say employees feel positive about working remotely some or all of the time.
  • 61% were able to see an increased number of patients.
  • 56% of practices with hybrid or remote work models saw increased productivity.
  • 51% spent less than $5,000 setting up their hybrid or remote practice.
  • 39% saw increased revenue.
     

This shows that hybrid working environments benefit patients, staff morale and the bottom line. The most common purchases related to remote or hybrid work are telemedicine software at 77% and teleconferencing hardware at 74%.
 
Currently, approximately 6% of all healthcare jobs are hybrid and another 5% are fully remote, according to the Medical Group Management Association.  

HYBRID HEALTHCARE MAY POINT TO THE FUTURE OF PATIENT CARE


A hybrid model gives patients the flexibility to choose how they interact with their provider: coming into the facility or meeting virtually. The interactions can be at any point along the continuum of care, giving patients the agility to meet their providers in the setting that makes the most sense from the perspectives of time, convenience and healthcare need.

“It doesn’t replace face-to-face appointments, but instead enhances the overall experience by giving patients more options for follow-ups, routine check-ins or consultations,” according to LifeBridge Health. “What’s the big benefit? For patients, hybrid care means less time in waiting rooms and more time fitting healthcare into their busy lives.”

Patients who may have challenges with transportation to get to in-person appointments or require frequent check-ins also benefit from the ability to choose how they meet with their provider. By integrating telehealth with office visits, hybrid healthcare enables providers to track patients’ progress in real time and make timely interventions. This ultimately helps ensure continuity of care and can improve patient outcomes to reduce complications and even prevent unnecessary emergency visits.

Yet another benefit is that a hybrid healthcare model increases patient access to specialists who may not be locally available. This allows patients to receive quality care, regardless of their geographic location.

 

OVERCOMING HYBRID HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES

While hybrid healthcare offers many tangible benefits, it also presents challenges, such as ensuring connectivity for patients and staff. Resolving this issue requires a modern technology infrastructure that delivers fast and reliable connections. Patients can then use virtual services, and employees working remotely can access the organization’s network.

Similarly, clinical staff, including physicians, may need training to use telehealth and other hybrid technologies efficiently. Plus, if facilities don’t already have systems in place for hybrid health, they’ll need to invest in technologies, which can be expensive.

Cleveroad puts the cost of telehealth implementation at $15,000 to more than $50,000, with a monthly subscription costing from $25 to over $300. Meanwhile, according to Technology Ally, a “medium level” telemedicine app can cost $40,000 to $55,000, with custom apps offering additional features ranging from $90,000 to $200,000.

As with any healthcare service, patient privacy and data security must be ensured in hybrid environments. Facilities must follow compliance rules to ensure sensitive information is protected in both virtual and physical settings.

 

“A GPO can help ensure facilities have the technology they need for ongoing success in hybrid care. ”

PLAN FOR A FUTURE WITH HYBRID HEALTHCARE


Hybrid healthcare represents a shift in how care is delivered, blending the modern convenience of virtual care with the reassurance of traditional in-person visits. A hybrid approach offers benefits for both patients and healthcare providers, improving accessibility, flexibility and overall satisfaction.
 
“Hybrid care can create value across various dimensions, improving access, efficiency, patient and provider experience, and patient outcomes with similar or lower costs,” according to Boston Consulting Group.
 
As technology continues to advance and facilities adapt to new ways of working, hybrid healthcare is likely to play an increasingly important role in shaping patient care. Hybrid healthcare is here to stay, and facilities looking to embrace this approach or expand their hybrid care capabilities can get started by talking to their group purchasing organization (GPO). A GPO can help ensure facilities have the technology they need for ongoing success in hybrid care. 

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