Mercer Joins IMPACT’s Virtual First Care Collaboration 

Evolving technology has revolutionized the way people interact with the world around them, and healthcare has often lagged behind – until 2020 hit. Telemedicine usage grew between 38 and 78x in 2020 and 2021 compared to pre-COVID levels, as a result of unique pandemic-inspired needs. But this utilization wasn’t just a flash in the pan – Mercer’s Health on Demand research shows that 72% of employees used telemedicine during the pandemic and 8 of 10 of those employees plan to continue to use it after the pandemic.  

Virtual access to healthcare does not require time off of work, coordinating transportation, or childcare – all major barriers in the brick and mortar healthcare delivery system. But we are still in the early stages of virtual care, and there is risk that if it is not constructed and deployed thoughtfully, virtual care could exacerbate underlying issues in our healthcare system. For example, virtual health services may widen the digital divide for patients who need translators, or don’t have access to high speed internet or a computer when trying to access care. We’ve already seen some evidence of this: telemedicine usage grew the most in counties with higher affluence.

To identify the gaps, address risks, and reach the full potential that virtual healthcare has to offer, Mercer joined IMPACT- the Virtual First Medical Collaboration, founded by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), and the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe). IMPACT is focused on a novel category in virtual care, called virtual first care or V1C, that includes providers who function almost entirely, if not completely outside of brick and mortar. Mercer is representing the employer perspective when identifying opportunities and resources needed to advance V1C. Our goal is to make sure that the resulting resources are aligned with employers’ HR and business goals.

What is Virtual First Care (V1C)? 

First and foremost, V1C is healthcare.  V1C gives individuals the ability to initiate care from anywhere at any time through telecommunication and digital technologies. It includes personalized platforms that offers complete solutions to support a person to take all the necessary next steps in their health journey. It adheres to all applicable laws that apply to healthcare providers, including best practices on standards of care, individual safety, security, privacy and data rights.

Why did Mercer join IMPACT and what is Mercer’s role?

We believe that V1C is the transformation of the healthcare delivery system towards a more expansive, efficient and fully integrated use of digital channels. This transformation will apply to primary care, specialty care, chronic care management, and remote care delivery. Not only will V1C change the way individuals consume healthcare, but it will also fundamentally transform today’s healthcare model.

Of course, progress will be incremental: V1C will be used and adapted in stages as technology advances, and patient and provider acceptance increases. With the increase in use of AI and providers and payers continuing to pivot with these changes, the outlook is promising.  As a steering committee member and participant of the IMPACT collaboration, Mercer will help shape the working priorities as a representative of the employer perspective at the table.

Stay tuned for more details on Mercer’s collaboration with IMPACT. 

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