Breaking down barriers: How asynchronous care expands access and equity.

Breaking down barriers: How asynchronous care expands access and equity.


January 29, 2025

Breaking down barriers: How asynchronous care expands access and equity.

Tags

ASYNCHRONOUS CARE
HEALTHCARE ACCESS
HEALTH EQUITY
VIRTUAL CARE SOLUTIONS
BARRIERS TO CARE
IMPROVING PATIENT ACCESS

Accessing healthcare is still a struggle in the United States today, making care gaps and treatment delays an all-too-common story. This is especially true in rural areas, where it’s common to only have one brick-and-mortar location serving the entire population.

Rural communities contain:

61.85%

of mental health
shortage zones1

10.3%

of zip codes not served by
home health services1

Only 6%

of dedicated OBGYN
service areas1

However, poor access isn’t limited to rural areas. Accessing timely care is challenging even in highly populated metropolitan areas with many providers and health systems.

In 2022, many adults experienced barriers to care nationwide:

10.6%

couldn’t get
an appointment
when they needed it2

4.4%

couldn’t find
a provider
in-network2

12.5%

couldn’t find the time
to seek care using
traditional methods2

Fortunately, asynchronous care is becoming more available. This type of virtual care helps fill in gaps by allowing patients to receive on-demand, high-quality care without needing to connect with a doctor in real-time—improving access to care and freeing up brick-and-mortar clinics for those who need hands-on care.

Could asynchronous care be the answer to the care access problem? The answer lies in first examining why healthcare access has decreased nationwide.

Current barriers to healthcare access.

Provider shortages.

+ Provider shortages.

By 2037, experts estimate a shortage of 187,130 full-time healthcare professionals.3

Scheduling conflicts.

+ Scheduling conflicts.

Limited appointment availability makes it harder for patients to fit care into their busy schedules.
And in-person clinic visits often take hours out of the patient’s day when considering the commute, waiting room, labs, and other testing.

Limited internet access.

+ Limited internet access.

Unfortunately, 24 million Americans still lack consistent access to the internet. While video visits can help with scheduling conflicts, it’s not an option for those without reliable internet access.4

Cost.

+ Cost.

Cost is an ongoing barrier. In 2023, 27% of Americans went without medical care because of financial hardship.5

There’s no single solution to these problems. Potential fixes will require a multi-faceted approach involving domains outside healthcare itself. However, asynchronous care addresses multiple access challenges while lowering costs for both patients and payers.

The benefits of asynchronous care.

+ Supports brick-and-mortar efforts.

For brick-and-mortar locations, staffing resources are a primary limiting factor. If a brick-and-mortar location is understaffed or someone is sick or unavailable, this can quickly lead to delays in care.

With the addition of an asynchronous care platform, brick-and-mortar locations can have support from a larger pool of providers, improving access to timely care for common low-acuity conditions. It also helps providers care for patients with more complex or chronic conditions. Patients get the care they need, while providers get to practice
top-of-license.

+ Lowers costs.

Poor access to healthcare leads many patients to put off care altogether. The result? Decreased overall healthcare outcomes and increased utilization of high-cost care settings, such as an urgent care center or the emergency room. By empowering patients to get on-demand care when needed, payers and patients can experience real cost savings.

+ Fits the patient’s schedule and lifestyle.

Many individuals put off seeking care because it simply doesn’t fit into their day, or they feel like the hassle of going to a brick-and-mortar location isn’t worth the time and effort.

With asynchronous care, patients can access care anytime from any place if they have a device with access to at least a 3G connection—no broadband internet is needed. In most cases, a care plan is delivered within an hour.

MD Live E-Treatment is designed for accessibility, offering the same personalized, quality care from
an MD Live board-certified doctor as a live Urgent Care visit.6

  • 6

    Patients who don’t have E-Treatment available to them will not see it as an option in the MD Live patient portal.

MD Live E-Treatment lowers barriers to care and provides:

  • Talk-free access to urgent care with a diagnosis, treatment plan, and prescriptions, if needed,
    sent within an hour.7
  • Quick review by a board-certified MD Live doctor.
  • Easy transfer to a virtual appointment or refer to an in-person visit, if necessary.8

MD Live E-Treatment provides on-demand, personalized care for over 100 common, non-emergency conditions, like cold and flu, ear concerns, pink eye, and rash. Learn more about MD Live E-Treatment.

  • 7

    Prescriptions are available at the physician’s discretion when medically necessary.

  • 8

    If your MD Live doctor believes your condition requires a higher level of care, they can quickly and easily move you to a phone or video consultation so you don’t have to start your visit over.

Looking for more types of care?
The MD Live integrated platform can also deliver:

  • Quick access to routine and preventive care, with weekend and same-day appointments available.9
  • Comprehensive behavioral health solutions for members and dependents age ten and up.
  • The ability to provide visit summaries and treatment plans to the patient’s primary physician, ensuring care continuity.

By offering these services, we improve outcomes for health plans and patients by driving patient engagement, quality, and convenience.

  • 9

    Same-day appointments are not guaranteed and are subject to provider availability.

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