The use of telehealth and virtual treatment is now 28 times greater than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. 80% of consumers have now used telehealth at least once, often for prescription management, care for minor illnesses, or mental health services. So, if you’ve yet to embrace telehealth in your practice, know that it’s more than just a pandemic-era necessity—it’s here to stay.
The use of telehealth and virtual treatment is now 28 times greater than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. 80% of consumers have now used telehealth at least once, often for prescription management, care for minor illnesses, or mental health services. So, if you’ve yet to embrace telehealth in your practice, know that it’s more than just a pandemic-era necessity—it’s here to stay.
However, it’s understandable that moving from analog to digital services as a practice can feel daunting. It can be overwhelming to adapt to these changes; however, embracing telehealth offers a convenient, accessible, and affordable means of care that benefits patients and providers. And with the right preparation, providers can make integrating telehealth services in their practices a straightforward and rewarding experience.
The 4 Biggest Advantages of Telehealth
Telehealth provides a multitude of benefits for providers and patients. As you get started on your telehealth journey, here are some key benefits you can expect to achieve:
- Convenience: With telehealth, patients can access care from the most convenient location for them. This advantage reduces travel time and the need to take time off work. It provides increased accessibility for patients in rural areas or those with mobility or transportation issues.
- Lower Costs: Virtual visits often have a lower cost when compared to in-person consultations. This can lead to overall savings for patients and providers, especially when considering the reduced overhead costs for healthcare facilities. As an added benefit, patients may be more likely to book telehealth appointments due to reduced cost, leading to improved health outcomes.
- Consistency of Care: With telehealth, providers can provide continuous monitoring and follow-up care. That way, patients receive timely interventions and treatment without the barriers of travel or scheduling conflicts.
- Expanded Reach: Likewise, providers can provide care to a larger patient population who might otherwise forego care and treatment. This is a major benefit, as 67% of Americans say that access to medical care is a problem where they live.
What You Need To Know Before Starting Your Telehealth Journey
As you work to implement telehealth in your practice, keep these three important things in mind:
- Rules and Regulations: First, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the laws governing telehealth in your state. These regulations can vary significantly between states and affect licensing, consent, and the type of services you can offer remotely. For example, with the ending of COVID-19 emergency waivers, at least 30 states ban or restrict telehealth appointments with doctors licensed out-of-state.
- Insurance Reimbursement: Ensure that you understand how telehealth services are reimbursed by insurance providers. Check with your payers to see what services are covered and what documentation is required, as well as relevant CPT codes.
- Implementation Timeline: The setup to implement telehealth can take a few weeks to several months. It will largely depend on the complexity of your practice, the technology you implement, and whether the vendor you work with has a supportive and comprehensive onboarding program. Plan for this timeline and leave a buffer for contingencies so you aren’t left scrambling.
5 Steps for Implementing Telehealth in Your Practice
For best results, take a structured approach to getting started with telehealth. We recommend following these five steps to ensure success.
Step 1: Choose Your Vendor
First things first, who are you trusting to provide your telehealth platform? The ideal vendor should check all of your must-haves, budgetary constraints, and hopefully, some of your nice-to-haves too. Consider factors like regulatory compliance, integration capabilities (especially with your EHR system), ease of use, security, etc. The CMS Telehealth Toolkit is an excellent resource for preparing to choose a vendor.
Once you select your vendor, work closely with them to develop an implementation process with milestones, deliverables, and responsibilities.
Step 2: Build a Process for Telehealth Visits
Before deploying your telehealth solution, consider how you’ll provide telehealth visits and all of the “behind-the-scenes” steps required to facilitate them. It’s beneficial to develop a workflow that includes:
- Scheduling
- Insurance eligibility
- Patient check-in
- Coding and billing
- Follow-up procedures
Step 3: Prepare Your Team
Training is paramount to getting the most out of your telehealth platform and ensuring your staff feels comfortable. Ideally, your vendor will provide training opportunities for your team. Ensure each staff member is familiar with and competent enough to use the platform effectively.
Step 4: Perform a Soft Launch and Inform Patients
A soft launch or pilot program can help you test your new telehealth platform and identify any adjustments that need to be made. You can run this program with a small group of selected patients. Take in their feedback and make necessary changes before running the full launch.
Once you’ve gotten the kinks out and are ready to launch, let patients know about your availability for telehealth visits. Supply literature in your office, inform patients during in-person visits, use newsletters, and promote the option on social media as well as your practice’s website. Using your digital channels to promote this service can help your practice build trust with patients around the use of this new technology.
Step 5: Monitor and Improve
Once your telehealth program is up and running, gather feedback from staff and patients. Identify areas that need improvement and build out a plan to make those changes. Continue to promote the option to new patients or those who have not yet adopted the solution.
If you’re ready to make telehealth a successful part of your practice, we’re ready to help. RXNT’s digital platform is telehealth-friendly and secure, with streamlined options for scheduling, patient communications, and billing. To learn more about our software, schedule an easy, virtual demo.
