Telemedicine for specialists
With the new focus on patient engagement and preventative medicine, telemedicine for specialty care providers has become an integral part of the healthcare delivery continuum. Frequent follow-up and reducing the demand on emergency rooms and urgent care facilities can be accomplished through strategic use of telemedicine.
Nephrology
Manage chronic care patients to slow the progression of kidney disease, avoid dialysis and/or transplantations, and create catered care plans for patients receiving kidney replacement therapy
Gastroenterology
Treat chronic conditions such as chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Endocrinology
Manage patients with chronic conditions like diabetes and thyroid disease, and adjust various hormone and hypertension treatments
Cardiology
Manage treatment plans for patients with congenital heart defects and cardiovascular diseases that require ongoing care
Dermatology
Perform routine skin assessments and triage services
Pulmonology
Provide ongoing treatment of patients with COPD, asthma, bronchitis, and patients requiring mechanical ventilation
Infectious Disease
Monitor symptom progression and quickly adjust levels of antibiotics, antivirals, anti-fungals, and other treatments in response to unforeseen side effects
Urology
Manage ongoing treatment of chronic urinary tract disorders in males and females in addition to complications involving the male reproductive organs
Hematology/Oncology
Adjust medications and treatment plans for patients suffering from sickle cell disease, leukemias, lymphomas, cancers, and iron deficiencies
How patients benefit from telemedicine
Increase patient engagement with easy access to care
Missed appointments and lack of treatment plan adherence lead to poor health outcomes. By giving patients easy access to remote care, they become more engaged in their healthcare with no extra work. This has long-term benefits to patients, their pocketbooks and the healthcare system, overall.
No time off work or hiring a sitter
You may have a modern office equipped with televisions and trendy magazines, but busy parents and professionals are still going to prefer avoiding the waiting room. They’ll appreciate the option of having an appointment from their home or office.
No driving and no traffic
For busy professionals and parents, the hassle of driving and sitting in traffic impacts a patient’s decision to follow-up with his or her doctor. Remote appointments make remote care easy to access and gives patients one less thing to worry about.
FAQs about telehealth in specialty care
Results show that 95% of patients who are seen through remote video feel they receive the same quality of care as they do during standard in-person appointments.
Even patients with very little tech savvy find telemedicine easy. Anyone with a smartphone or computer who wants to receive telehealth care is qualified. The rest is up to their specialty care provider!
Telemedicine reimbursement mandates are determined by a particular state’s legislation. If you practice in one of the 26 states that mandates reimbursement, you’ll most likely be paid the same amount as you would for an in-person visit. (Check our state map to see if you do.)
Not only is telemedicine software safe, secure and HIPAA compliant, it’s required to be! See the following section to further guide your telemedicine software buying process.
While certain state legislation distinguishes “telemedicine” from “telehealth,” the two are basically the same. As a specialty care provider offering remote care, use whichever term you prefer when discussing the topic with your patients.
Finding the best telemedicine software
Here’s what to look for if you’re shopping for telehealth software
Real-time audio and video
In order to be reimbursed for telehealth services, the remote interaction must contain real-time audio and video. Additionally, the video quality should reflect that of an in-person interaction and avoid frequent freezes or choppiness.
Appointment logs
As with an in-person appointment or a simple phone call, telemedicine software should always provide an audit trail, detailing patient, payer and provider details. This is both for record-keeping purposes and in the unlikely event an audit is conducted.
HIPAA-compliant
Because patient information is being exchanged, all telemedicine software must be secure and HIPAA-compliant. Services like Skype and FaceTime, for example, are not secure and should never be used for patient appointments.
Eligibility checks for patients
Even in states that require private payer reimbursement for telehealth, certain healthcare plans may not be subject to these rules. By finding telemedicine software that can check individual patient eligibilities, reimbursement complications are minimized.
Seamless EHR integration
Ideally, any telehealth software should integrate into existing practice workflow without added stress on you and your staff. The best way to ensure this is to select a product that integrates directly with your existing EHR.
Legal and regulatory support
Providing care via telemedicine is heavily regulated and nuanced. In order to ensure adherence to legal regulations and best practices, find a telemedicine platform that offers a support component that addresses these issues.
See how telemedicine is transforming specialty care
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