As ViVE kicks off in Nashville, bringing together some of the most influential digital health leaders, the conversation around the future of virtual first care is visible at every turn.
Over the past year, we’ve seen great strides in making high-quality healthcare – not just virtual care – more accessible, convenient, and cost-effective for patients and health systems alike.
Virtual-first care is not a novel concept — it’s become an indispensable part of modern healthcare. As we look to the future, here are the trends giving us a glimpse into what’s ahead.
1. Patient familiarity with local health systems will win out
We continue to see that patients — mindful of convenience, quality, and continuity — overwhelmingly prefer to stay within their local health systems for virtual care, rather than turn to unfamiliar or transactional services. This underscores the importance of building strong virtual care solutions inside existing provider networks. To be sustainable and enduring, a go-it-alone strategy isn’t going to work. It’s no longer enough to offer a standalone telehealth app or siloed product offering that addresses singular conditions; it must integrate deeply with the health system’s workflows, electronic health record, and continuum of care.
As we saw provider trust drop to lows of 40%, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, we know we still have a long way to go when it comes to rebuilding trust in medicine. The latest Gallup poll only confirms this: trust in medical doctors has fallen 14 percentage points since 2021 and is now the lowest since the mid-1990s. Virtual-first care provides an opportunity to help rebuild that trust, but only in partnership with the larger healthcare ecosystem.
2. Virtual care demonstrates comparable effectiveness to in-person care
Research consistently shows that virtual care can match or exceed in-person care for many conditions — from chronic disease management to routine primary care visits. These findings align with larger studies, including those published by the likes of JAMA, which show that virtual care can yield clinical outcomes on par with traditional settings.
3. Virtual-first care and integrating virtual and in-person care will continue to grow
To that end, as virtual care matures, the next frontier is full integration with existing clinical workflows, particularly the EHR. When patient data is seamlessly shared between in-person and virtual settings, care teams can coordinate more effectively, reducing duplicative tests and visits, and ensuring consistent follow-up. From a patient perspective, this means a more cohesive care journey, whether they are visiting a clinic in person or consulting a provider from home.
4. Partners that understand health systems will be preferred
We are seeing more health systems take a strategic approach to digital health and virtual care, recognizing the importance of choosing partners that understand their challenges, operations, and culture. It’s no longer about single-point telehealth solutions; it’s about comprehensive digital transformation. Virtual care solutions that are “plug-and-play,” but not fully integrated and clinically aligned, aren’t going to cut it.
5. Growth in primary care and beyond
Primary care stands out as a critical area for growth. Demand for accessible, convenient primary care is high, and virtual-first care can serve as a gateway for connecting patients to a broader range of services, including specialty care. By integrating behavioral health, nutritional counseling, pharmacy services, and chronic disease management programs within a unified virtual offering built on and integrated with an EMR, we can offer patients a holistic care experience.
6. Virtual care will continue to demonstrate it does not increase overall costs
Despite lingering misconceptions, research increasingly indicates that virtual care does not automatically inflate healthcare spending; in many cases, it can actually help reduce costs. Data from Health Affairs and other sources show that by diverting non-emergency conditions from high-cost settings like the ER, virtual care can maintain costs and even create savings while demonstrating better adherence and engagement. Patient outcomes remain positive, and health systems benefit from reduced strain on resources. I expect additional research this year that will only further highlight this.
7. AI takes center stage
We cannot talk about the future of digital health and virtual care without acknowledging artificial intelligence — it’s not just seemingly everywhere in our lives. It’s here at ViVE, too, as the hype train has left the station. As AI-driven tools become more sophisticated, we are just beginning to see their potential in clinical decision support, patient triage, and population health management. When providers have high-risk patients, AI has the ability to identify these patients, prioritize care delivery, and personalize care pathways. When used ethically and in alignment with clinical best practices, AI will profoundly enhance both the effectiveness and efficiency of virtual care.
Looking ahead
Health systems will excel by providing patients with a truly integrated and quality-focused virtual care experience that keeps them connected to all of the resources at their trusted health system and in their community.
Virtual care is no longer just a convenience, it is a necessity. The question is no longer whether virtual-first care is viable but how quickly we can make it the preferred model for modern healthcare. In 2025 and beyond, health systems that deeply integrate virtual care into their ecosystem will not only enhance patient outcomes but also build long-term trust and efficiency. Virtual-first and connected care models are a recipe for success to empower patients, support providers, and foster healthier communities.
Editor’s Note: The author’s company is a ViVE sponsor.
Photo: elenabs, Getty Images
Michael Dalton is the founder and CEO of Ovatient, a virtual-first healthcare services company born out of a partnership between The Medical University of South Carolina and The MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to his role at Ovatient, he served as the Vice President for the Virtual Care Enterprise at MetroHealth
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