The pandemic changed the way health services are delivered – perhaps forever.
Insurers have noted increased demand for digital and virtual GP services and have responded in kind by designing or evolving products to meet customer needs.
Such services have really come into their own in providing mental health support to customers and those affected by long Covid, and advisers too recognise how clients appreciate having access to them.
But as Covid infection rates begin to fall once more and with the lifting of restrictions entirely, are customers engaging with such products in the same way or will they simply spurn digital services for face-to-face treatment as the country strives to return to normality?
Increased demand for digital services
“We’ve seen an increase in demand for digital health services coming out of the pandemic and people are becoming more used to virtual methods of accessing services,” Jennifer Gilchrist, protection specialist at Royal London told Health & Protection.
“Providers have developed more online and virtual capabilities at speed which has accelerated the digitalisation of an industry often thought of as not being as digitally enabled as other industries,” she added.
This was echoed by Ian Ranger, head of claims and medical underwriting, Canada Life, who noted the provider’s virtual support service was also continuing to be “really popular” among customers.
“We continue to see demand for key areas of support especially around mental health and access to virtual GP access, alongside the wider wellbeing services available,” he said.
“We haven’t seen this demand wain despite the lifting of restrictions. If anything, once our customers use the service, they are more likely to access the services again.”
Nina Brown, health propositions lead at Aviva UK Health, revealed for the first quarter of this year the insurer saw the average number of online appointments rise to 7,200 per month, with March seeing a record 8,500 appointments carried out.
“By comparison, last October we averaged around 5,000 appointments a month, so we’re continuing to see a growing need for timely and convenient online consultations that can help route customers with further medical needs onto the right pathway.”
But Brown added registration rates for the Aviva Digital GP app have also continued on an upward trajectory.
“We saw a 43% increase in registrations in the January to March 2022 period compared to the last three months of 2021, as more individual and corporate customers embrace digital health and the speed and convenience it offers.”
The speed and convenience of such services has also had a positive impact in improving customers’ mental health.
Last week Health & Protection revealed Teladoc has managed to more than treble the number of its AIG Life clients who reported good mental health after four of the provider’s therapy sessions.
Services are less intrusive and enable people to reach out
Sue Helmont, marketing director at AIG Life, told Health & Protection these telehealth services have really come into their own as they are less intrusive and allow for people to reach out to talk to somebody.
“The very act of having to go to a GP, go to a specialist, putting aside your ability to get to those appointments on the NHS, but just actually sitting in front of somebody and to talk to about your mental health is a big step,” she said.
“There’s probably something in there about it being virtual, that you can speak to somebody at a time that suits you and in a place that you feel comfortable and confident in – at home on your own rather than travelling somewhere and then having extra anxiety about sitting and talking to somebody you’ve never met before.”
And as cases spiral upwards, digital delivery of services also means long Covid sufferers have not had to make unnecessary journeys for treatment as Dr Julie Denning, managing director at return-to-work rehabilitation specialist Working To Wellbeing, points out.
“For those who have complex clinical needs, such as those receiving cancer treatments or recovering from long Covid, digital delivery means that they don’t need to make additional journeys outside of their home when they may be feeling fatigued, in pain or anxious, particularly in the context of Covid,” Denning said.
“As restrictions have lifted, we have found that people have continued to struggle to access their GP and NHS services have often had long waiting lists. Even long Covid clinics have had lengthy waiting times to be seen.
“Anecdotally, we have found that people have reached out to benefits provided by their employers such as virtual GP services and physiotherapy support to access support more quickly.”
Customers see the value of these services now
Providing an adviser’s perspective, Robyn Allen, owner of Robyn Allen Solutions, highlighted that while customers do not appear to be talking about digital health services as much these days, they certainly continue to see the value of them.
“Last year people asked about it more. This year people are just appreciating it more,” Allen said.
“Since the world has started going back to normal, I think it’s going down. People have access to their services again but when you tell them this policy comes with this virtual service they are very appreciative of it and say, ‘ooh that would have been useful then’, ‘I’ll have to remember that’.
“So they’re definitely being taken a different way and people are realising how they could use them, but it definitely fell down the priority lists with services back to normal or near-normal.”
Why stop what works?
Ultimately though the demand for digital health services shows no signs of slowing down.
“Many of our clients are still being very positive about remote GP services and it is fair to say that the pandemic has changed behaviours and people are happy to keep using these services,” Steve Ellis, associate director at Prosperis, told Health & Protection.
“I have had recent comment that the service is discussed on return to work interviews, so perhaps there is an increased awareness that these services can form part of an early intervention process.”
According to Isaac Feiner, owner of LifePoint Healthcare, patients that can be seen or treated through a digital service will be happy to do so.
“This frees up the slots required for cases where a face to face or physical examination is required,” he said.
“I do not think the digital aspect will wane, on the contrary we will see heightened development in this area as it has been a proven tool. Why stop what works?”