Between rising healthcare costs and
Half of Americans carry medical debt, and nearly 60% of those with debt owe at least $1,000, according to Debt.com. In turn, primary care visits — the U.S. health system’s first line of defense — are plummeting. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that between 2008 and 2016, these visits dropped by 24%, with low-income respondents driving the decline. This trend has likely stayed the course, as one in five Americans have not seen a doctor in over five years, according to a survey by OnlineDoctor.com.
Telehealth apps like Eden Health believe that virtual care and navigation can bring people back to the doctor’s office, whether via online chat, phone call, video call or in-person appointment. This employer-provided benefit allows workers 24/7 access to care and insurance navigation.
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“What we've learned over the last couple of years of the pandemic is that people are used to and need multimedia communications,” says Dr. Heather Towery, vice president of clinical strategy and enterprise partnerships at Eden. “Why should healthcare be any different?”
With a background in pediatrics and internal medicine, Dr. Towery knows firsthand how difficult it is for doctors and patients to connect with one another, whether they need to see multiple specialists or receive something as simple as a prescription refill. Dr. Towery recalls how a family member had to wait two weeks before anyone connected with them regarding their blood pressure medication refill.
To avoid similar failings, Eden provides each user an integrated healthcare team of medical and mental care providers, physical therapists and insurance experts, promising to answer any inquiry within seven minutes. This integration also means patients will not have to spend time looking for the provider with the right expertise and availability.
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“As a provider, I love that if I do need to send a patient to a cardiologist or somebody else, Eden has a navigation team that can make that happen,” she says. “I don't have to worry about burdening the member with finding that provider or making that appointment.”
Eden even integrated mental health into primary care, with physicians working alongside therapists and psychiatrists to perform more holistic check-ups. Dr. Towery notes that it is much easier for patients to bring up mental health concerns if they know their doctor can provide the proper resources.
As a hybrid healthcare company, Eden also has in-person medical offices and “pop-ups,” which are temporary clinics at work sites for services like flu and COVID shots as well as primary and mental care. Eden wants to be accessible to every one of its users, and for Dr. Towery, nothing is more paramount.
“When someone is having a health problem, you do not want to wait to see them in three days or a week,” she says. “The best possible thing to be able to do as a physician is just to be there when somebody needs you.”
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For Dr. Towery, working with Eden meant she not only could see her patients faster but she could develop ongoing connections with them. In her experience, it can be difficult for patients to return to the same provider since once a patient is treated or referred elsewhere, providers may not hear from them again.
“I want to have relationships with folks. I want to know that Mrs. Smith, whose stomach was hurting, will come back after six weeks and check in with me,” says Dr. Towery. “We are not the Uber or Lyft of telehealth — I love that I can see the same people over and over again, instead of getting a different person every single time.”
It helps that Eden manages healthcare claims, billing and referrals, ensuring a patient effectively uses their insurance while tracking what care they need next. And at least from the employer’s perspective, this app is working. Eden claims to have increased employee retention by 22% while saving an average of $800 in claims spending per year.
“In the last couple of years, we've seen such an erosion of trust with the public,” Dr. Towery says. “People deserve better care, and it's our responsibility to continue to educate folks who are typically hesitant around things like vaccines and evidence-based medicine. So, whether we see someone virtually or at a pop-up, we have to expand our relationships with patients.”
