The growth of virtual primary care (VPC) is one of the most promising and important developments I have seen when it comes to improving patient access. If you are among some of the skeptics of this trend, consider this: The majority of my peers now expect virtual primary care to surpass in-person care within five years. In my view, this means that as an advisor for employer-sponsored health plans, it won't be a question of if, but when, you will need to discuss VPC with your clients.

I have developed a four-step framework for discussing VPC with employers that will help effectively communicate the benefits of this exciting digital offering.

Step 1 – Gain common understanding about VPC  

As with any relatively new advancement in health care, it is very important that everyone taking part in the discussion has a common understanding of what "it" is. The most common confusion around VPC I find is about how it differs from traditional telemedicine.