Cleveland Clinic and Boston-based telehealth company American Well are forming a joint venture digital health company, called The Clinic, to provide broad access to comprehensive and high-acuity care services via telehealth to reach patients nationally and globally, according to a news release.
The new company, to be based in Cleveland, will offer virtual care from Cleveland Clinic’s experts through American Well’s digital health technology platform.
The Clinic builds upon existing collaboration between Cleveland Clinic and American Well, which have partnered since 2014 to deliver non-emergency and specialty care via telehealth through Cleveland Clinic Express Care Online.
Cleveland Clinic has seen a rapid increase in the use of virtual visits to deliver patient care, with the number of annual visits growing by 68% in 2018 alone. Telehealth is a key part of its aim to double the number of patients it serves in the next five years, a lofty goal Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, announced earlier this year.
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The health system projects that 50% of outpatient visits will be virtual in just five years, according to the release.
“Digital health is one of the fastest-growing segments of the health care industry. There is an incredible demand for medical care to be delivered in more convenient and integrated ways,” Mihaljevic said in a prepared statement. “This new venture marks the first time that a major digital health technology platform has partnered with a globally recognized health care provider to deliver digital solutions for complex health care problems. This new digital health service will provide access to world-class Cleveland Clinic expertise and quality of care for patients in the U.S. and internationally.”
“As the adoption and value of telehealth grows, there is significant potential to further advance the digital distribution of care,” said Dr. Ido Schoenberg, chairman and CEO of American Well, in a prepared statement. “Cleveland Clinic has long been at the forefront of offering virtual visits, and we’re thrilled to partner more closely with them to expand the frontiers for digital care delivery.”
Source: Modern Healthcare
