Telehealth has made healthcare more accessible, allowing people to connect with doctors without needing to travel. A national study, which analyzed data from 36 million working-age individuals with private insurance, revealed a staggering 766% increase in telemedicine encounters during the first three months of the pandemic.
At the heart of telehealth are two main methods of communication: synchronous and asynchronous. Understanding the differences between them can help you see how both play an essential role in making healthcare more accessible, efficient, and tailored to your needs.
What is Synchronous Telehealth?
Synchronous telehealth happens in real-time. It’s when you talk to your doctor or healthcare provider at the same time, like during a video chat, phone call, or live text conversation. It’s like having a virtual doctor’s appointment without stepping into the clinic. Synchronous telehealth is ideal when you need answers quickly or for situations that require immediate attention.
Example
If you suddenly feel chest pain, you can video call a cardiologist who will assess your symptoms on the spot, give advice, or recommend urgent tests.
Tools Used
Apps like Zoom or telehealth platforms are designed specifically for live consultations.
Benefits of Synchronous Telehealth
1. Fast Help
You get immediate answers and advice, which is especially important for emergencies like strokes, heart attacks, or sudden illnesses.
Challenge: This relies on having a strong internet connection. If your connection is unstable or unavailable, it can delay important care.
2. Better Assessment
Doctors can evaluate not just your words but also observe your expressions, movements, and energy level. These visual and verbal cues help with more accurate diagnoses.
Challenge: Scheduling can be tricky. Finding a time that works for both the patient and the doctor, especially across time zones, might delay care.
3. Saves Time
You avoid the hassle of driving to a clinic or hospital. This is perfect for those who live far from specialists or have limited mobility.
Challenge: Technology glitches like frozen video or dropped calls can interrupt the session, leading to frustration or incomplete consultations.
What is Asynchronous Telehealth?
Unlike synchronous telehealth, asynchronous telehealth, also known as “store-and-forward,” doesn’t happen in real time. Instead, you send your health details (like test results, pictures, or logs) to your healthcare provider. They review the information and respond at a later time. This is ideal for ongoing care or non-urgent issues.
Example
If you notice a suspicious mole on your skin, you can upload a photo through a secure patient portal. Your dermatologist reviews it later and provides a diagnosis or advice.
Tools Used
Patient portals, apps, or wearables that track things like blood sugar, heart rate, or activity levels.
Benefits of Asynchronous Telehealth
1. Fits Any Schedule
You don’t need to find a specific time to consult your doctor. You upload your health data at your convenience, and they reply when they’re available.
Challenge: Responses aren’t instant. If you’re anxious about your condition, waiting hours or days for an answer might add stress.
2. Efficient Care
Doctors can review data and respond to multiple requests at once. This system is especially helpful for managing high patient volumes or ongoing treatments.
Challenge: Communication is less interactive. Submitting photos or written descriptions doesn’t allow your doctor to ask clarifying questions in real time, which may leave some details out.
3. Records Everything
Since all your information, like logs or test results, is saved, it’s easy to track your progress over time. This is particularly helpful for chronic conditions.
Challenge: Not everyone is tech-savvy. Older patients or those unfamiliar with digital tools might find it hard to upload data or access portals.
Live or Later? The Telehealth Question
Figuring out whether to use synchronous or asynchronous telehealth depends on your situation and healthcare needs. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide.
When to Choose Synchronous Telehealth
- You’re experiencing chest pain, dizziness, or other potentially serious symptoms that require quick assessment.
- You need therapy or counseling and benefit from live conversations for emotional connection.
- You have questions that need clarifications or require back-and-forth dialogue to fully understand your condition or treatment plan.
Why It’s Great
You get real-time advice, faster medical guidance, and a doctor who can evaluate your symptoms as if you were face-to-face in the clinic.
When to Choose Asynchronous Telehealth
- You notice a non-urgent issue, like a rash or mole, and want to send photos for your doctor to review.
- You’re managing a chronic condition and need to regularly share health stats like blood sugar levels or blood pressure readings.
- Your schedule makes live appointments difficult, and you prefer sending updates whenever it’s convenient for you.
Why It’s Great
You’re not tied to specific times, and it allows doctors to respond thoughtfully when they’ve reviewed your case. It’s also incredibly useful for maintaining detailed records for long-term monitoring.
When the Doctor’s Not in the Room: How Telehealth Gets Charged
When it comes to billing for telehealth in the U.S., it all depends on whether it’s synchronous or asynchronous—basically, real-time vs. not-so-real-time.
Billing for Synchronous telehealth is pretty straightforward. Providers use the same CPT codes they would for an in-person visit, but they add a modifier (like 95 or GT) to show it was done virtually. Most insurers—including Medicare and Medicaid—cover these just like in-office appointments, especially since the pandemic shifted a lot of rules. So, if you had a 20-minute video therapy session, your provider might bill CPT 90834-95, and insurance takes it from there.
Now, asynchronous telehealth is a bit trickier with billing. Some Medicare codes (like G2010 for reviewing images or G2012 for virtual check-ins) help cover these services, but private insurance varies a lot depending on the state and the specific plan. Some of this also falls under things like remote patient monitoring or e-visits, which have their own codes and requirements.
So in a nutshell: live telehealth visits get billed much like regular doctor visits with just a modifier, while the not-live stuff depends more on the insurer, the state you’re in, and how the service is framed.
Why Not Both?
Hey there! So, it’s not really about picking one way to do telehealth—the best care often mixes both the quick chat (live video) and the “send-it-and-wait” (messages and photos) methods.
You snap a pic of that weird rash and send a message to your doctor explaining what’s up. They get to look it over properly without rushing (that’s the asynchronous part). Then, if they need to see you right away or chat through things, you hop on a video call (synchronous) for a quick, personal check-in and to figure out the next steps.
It’s all about making things easier, quicker, and more human. Whether it’s for ongoing stuff or something urgent, this mix makes sure you get the right care, exactly when you need it. Telehealth isn’t just convenient; it’s actually making healthcare more personal, which is pretty cool!