Share
 
 
SPECIAL ISSUE
Telehealth for Coronavirus Care


Principles, Policies, Processes, Technology and Training

Providing care at a distance using video technology
is akin to launching a new clinical service offering.

It is not merely the adding of telehealth technology
to the existing care delivery processes.

Guidance for Establishing
Telehealth Service Capabilities for Coronavirus Care

Hello ,

These days - and rightfully so - the Coronavirus and Telehealth are frequently mentioned together.

And there are a lot of telehealth companies that -- also rightfully so -- offer their solution up as a tool with which you can quickly launch your telemedicine service, in order to allow affected or concerned people to receive their care at home and to protect your front line staff.

What these companies’ sales people do not tell you, is that it is not simply a matter of "buy (or subscribe) to our software and you’ll be up and running in no time." Selecting and installing the technology is literally just the tip of the iceberg. and it takes much more to launch a telemedicine service than picking a vendor.

We are at a precious time in the evolution of telehealth. This year, finally, we are at the cusp, the s-bend of mainstream acceptance by patients and also acceptance (or begrudging tolerance) by physicians.

One of my favorite US idioms is that you only have one chance to make a first impression. A failure to properly launch a telemedicine service - even for something serious at preventing a spread of the Coronavirus - can lead to lingering resistance for years to come. (In 2015 one physician told me that they had tried telehealth in 2001 and it did not work, so they think telehealth won't work for them.)

So, by all means, go and implement a telemedicine service now, but do it not only with a technology vendor, but with the guidance and help of internal or telehealth experts like myself who know how to set up telehealth services the right way to create great first impressions.



With kind regards,

P.P.S.: Do you know a colleague who might enjoy reading this newsletter? Please send them this link to see an archive of past newsletters and an opportunity to subscribe:
 
Telehealth for Coronavirus Care
Here’s the basic WHAT of establishing the capability for Community Health’s providers to treat patients for the Coronavirus using live audio/video technology.

  1. Clinical Guidelines: Clearly define which patients qualify and do not qualify for Telemedicine-based coronavirus care.

  2. Medical licensure: While reimbursement regulations have been updated for Coronavirus care, medical licensure requirements still apply.

  3. Emergency Procedures: Ensure that in the case of an emergency on the patient end (harm to themselves, harm to others, harm by others, etc.) you can alert the appropriate authorities.

  4. Privacy: Ensure that the patient’s privacy is protected during the consults.

  5. Billing: Reportedly, CMS and other payors are now allowing billing for the care of patients with the Coronavirus on an exception basis.

Important Note: The current language around Medicare’s waivers for telehealth billing only pertains to the diagnosis and care of patients with a (suspected) infection of the coronavirus. Since the majority of patients will not have the coronavirus, but may still prefer to be seen remotely, your staff need to know which patients can be seen via telemedicine.

  1. Scheduling: Telehealth appointments should be scheduled as designated telehealth visits to allow for appropriately billing and tracking of telehealth visits.

  2. Telemedicine Consent: Depending on your state’s statutes or the requirements of the payors, patients may need to consent to this form of care orally or in writing and processes need to be in place capturing that consent was obtained.

  3. Technology Suitability (Patient): Confirm beforehand that the patient has adequate technology (smartphone, tablet, PC) and adequate, reliable connectivity.

  4. Telehealth Technology: Consider using different technical choices for delivering care for teleconsults, depending on the provider and on the patient.

  1. Support Processes: With an increasing number of users of the telehealth process comes the need for having a first line of contact to support telehealth-related questions. You need to establish both, operational and technical support.

  2. Provider Training: All providers offering telemedicine need to be trained on a variety of aspects of telemedicine. This training should be delivered just-in-time on an as-needed basis. It can be conducted in person or remotely or via a pre-recorded video/presentation. This training should cover the clinical guidelines (inclusion and exclusion criteria), Policies (licensure, consent, emergency contact, privacy, etc.), billing rules, webiquette/webside manners, use of the telemedicine technology, the process for prescriptions, post-visit documentation and follow-up visit scheduling as well as access to support.

  3. Allied Health Staff Training: Similarly training materials (documents, presentations, etc.) should be developed for the various audiences affected by telemedicine, including, but not limited to schedulers, patient service representatives, medical billing staff/coders, MAs & RNs, providers and leadership.

  4. Communication/Publicity: Lastly, and very importantly, you need to clearly communicate your vision, your objectives, your directives and processes regarding the use of telehealth to all staff members as well as to your patients and the public at large.

Do you want to discuss how to do this at your organization?

Then register for one of my upcoming free telehealth clinics!

Or you can email me at christian@ingeniumdigitalhealth.com or call me at 657-464-3648.

Send me your comments by replying to this email.

Christian Milaster is the Founder and CEO of Ingenium Digital Health where he and his expert advisors partner with healthcare leaders to optimize the delivery of care.
To discuss how you can use telehealth to optimize the delivery of care, contact Christian by phone or text (657-464-3648), email, or video chat.
 
This edition of Telehealth Tuesday was sent to _t.e.s.t_@example.com.
Ingenium Consulting Group, Inc., 1173 Bayview Vis, Annapolis, MD 21409, United States
If you no longer wish to receive weekly updates, I'm sorry to see you go. Unsubscribe


Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign