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Effective use of Telemedicine in your Practice

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01 Jun

Effective use of Telemedicine in your Practice

Effective use of Telemedicine in your Practice

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant strain on the healthcare industry. As a result, providers have had to adapt to provide care to their patients and continue maximizing their revenue. One way many providers have evolved throughout this trying time is by implementing the use of telemedicine throughout their practices. Telemedicine in healthcare is an effective means of providing remote patient care using the latest telecommunication technologies. This includes using interactive audio and video telecommunications between the patient and the healthcare provider.

There are multiple options when incorporating telemedicine in healthcare into your practice, and each may target a different set of specific needs. One way to implement telemedicine practices is via your patient portal. A telemedicine option may be built into your patient portal and integrated into your EHR workflow. This option is beneficial because most patients are familiar with the patient portal, so the experience is efficient and hassle-free.

Another option for implementing telemedicine practices is utilizing an EHR-integrated application. This involves using a third-party application that allows access to patient information, telemedicine sessions, and more. This is beneficial due to the ability to access scheduling and patient information, which increases providers’ efficiency.

The third option for implementing telemedicine practices is a standalone solution. With this option, your EHR would be used for scheduling, documentation, and billing; the telemedicine solution would only facilitate patient communication. The benefits of this option are lower costs, less or no contractual commitment, and faster implementation.

There are vital factors that must be considered when choosing the right telemedicine in healthcare solution for you and your practice. To begin telemedicine immediately, you must account for the time necessary for implementation. Many telemedicine solution vendors have long implementation timelines due to high demand during this pandemic.

Another factor to consider is the patient and provider’s ease of use of technology. Depending on your patient demographics, there may be barriers for specific vendors requiring more support. Provider experience is equally important, as choppy workflows caused by ill-fitting telemedicine solutions could affect the productivity and revenue of your practice.

Another consideration for your practice is if the investment is worth the cost. When looking for telemedicine solutions, finding a reasonably priced option with a short-term commitment that allows you to explore what capabilities are most important to you is beneficial. Lastly, it is essential to find a HIPAA-compliant solution enabling providers to obtain consent for a telemedicine visit according to state requirements to protect PHI.

Telemedicine is a useful tool for practice during the challenges caused by COVID-19. Learn how TriumpHealth can help evaluate telemedicine solutions for your practice and maximize revenue.