Are you struggling to adopt and integrate telehealth and virtual care solutions effectively into your practice? You’re not alone. This challenge can be the result of several barriers, including uncertainty about reimbursement policies and regulatory compliance, lack of technology infrastructure, or insufficient training for staff. Practices also face challenges in ensuring the security and privacy of patient data during virtual consultations.
Benefits For You and Your Patients
Telehealth and virtual care solutions can extend quality prenatal care to patients in rural areas where OB/GYN services aren’t available. It allows psychiatric providers to give mental health care to more patients and helps decrease no-show rates. Patients with opioid use disorder can receive lifesaving care via telehealth visits when stigma, distance, childcare needs, or other factors prevent them from receiving in-person care. Even many neurological examinations can be accomplished remotely.
What This Means For You
Failing to implement telehealth and virtual care solutions can lead to significant negative implications. Patients may face difficulties accessing care, particularly those in remote or underserved areas, or those with chronic conditions that require wearable devices and frequent remote patient monitoring. Failure to interact virtually with these patients can result in poorer health outcomes and higher long-term healthcare costs. Additionally, practices risk losing patients to competitors who offer more accessible and convenient virtual care options. Financially, practices may ultimately suffer from decreased patient visits or potential penalties for non-compliance with telehealth regulations.
What You Can Do
To overcome these challenges, practices should invest in secure and user-friendly telehealth platforms that integrate seamlessly with their existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. Although implementing a telehealth solution requires investment, the benefits of improved patient access, satisfaction, and potential financial gains justify the cost. The American Medical Association has created a Telehealth Resource Center that can help guide physician practices through the successful implementation of telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Training staff thoroughly in the new technology and educating patients on how to use telehealth services are crucial steps. Keeping up to date with telehealth regulations and ensuring compliance can help maximize reimbursements and avoid penalties.
What We Can Do
HealthNET Consulting can play a crucial role in your transformation. We can recommend secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms and provide comprehensive training for staff and educational resources for patients. We can also keep practices informed about evolving telehealth regulations and help implement necessary compliance measures. By leveraging the expertise of health tech consultants, physician practices can see increased virtual visits, significantly improving patient access and satisfaction while ensuring regulatory compliance and optimizing reimbursements.
You can incorporate telehealth and virtual care into your practice. If you need a helping hand, contact us today. Our experts are available to assist.
Blog Post Author:
Mary Ann Keane, MS, RN President
Mary Ann Keane brings decades of IT, healthcare operations, and nursing administrative experience to HealthNET. She was Director of Nursing at a major medical center, where she was responsible for Nursing Informatics, Medical/Surgical, and Maternal Child Health Nursing. Her background is augmented by notable accomplishments in IT strategic planning, IT assessments, system selections, EHR implementations and Promoting Interoperability planning and project management. Mary Ann is an outstanding facilitator, presenter, and thought leader. She earned her BS in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and her MS in Management from Lesley University.
