Virtual Care: Transforming the Way We See Our Providers

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Posted By: Roberta Mullin May 16, 2018

In our newest series we are seeking out the transforming technology of Virtual Care. How does virtual care fit into what we know as telemedicine?  What are the newest innovations and products in virtual care? For telemedicine policy and reimbursement issues, read our regular reporting on Telemedicine on RCM Answers.

First we need to define the industry. According to the AAPF:

Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. It occurs using a telecommunications infrastructure between a patient (at an originating or spoke site) and a physician or other practitioner licensed to practice medicine (at a distant or hub site).

Telehealth refers to a broad collection of electronic and telecommunications technologies that support health care delivery and services from distant locations. Telehealth technologies support virtual medical, health, and education services.

Virtual Care is a patient service model for healthcare providers.

Product News

How 2 Young Founders Are Bringing Teletherapy to School Kids Who Really Need It
DotCom Therapy (@dotcomtherapy), a telehelp company founded in 2015 by Emily Purdom and Rachel Robinson, partners with schools to provide speech therapy, occupational therapy, mental health and teleaudiology services. In other words, if you or your child has a communication disorder and you can’t travel for therapy, this company’s got you covered.

Patient Presenter Workflow Capabilities on Virtual Care Management Telehealth Platform
SnapMD launched new Patient Presenter Workflow functionalities within the Virtual Care Management (VCM) telehealth platform. A scalable solution for hospitals and health systems, SnapMD’s full-stack telehealth software now has a new seat type within its provider interface to connect patient presenters and other care extenders into the care continuum. These new functionalities give patient presenters a toolkit of features to conduct, schedule, or request on-demand virtual visits on behalf of their patients.

Industry News

MDLIVE Surpasses Milestone of 1 Million Virtual Health Consultations 
MDLIVE Inc. (@MDLIVEInc) recently announced it recently surpassed a significant industry growth milestone of 1 million virtual health visits. These visits are delivered by the company’s nationwide team of physician and medical experts covering every state and providing 24/7/365 access with a focus on high-quality, convenient, cost-effective virtual medical, dermatological and behavioral health care.

AMC Health Named Best Telemedicine Service for General Care by Business.com
AMC Health (@AMCHealth), a provider of proven real-time virtual care solutions, announced that Business.com, an organization covering business industry news and trends for growth companies and the B2B community, has named AMC Health “The Best Telemedicine Service for General Care for 2018.” This accolade follows other recent company achievements, most notably, AMC Health’s partnership with 1Vision resulting in the recent home telehealth contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Avizia and Regroup Partner to Enable Virtual Behavioral Healthcare Services
Avizia (@Aviziahealth), powering system-wide telehealth, has announced its partnership with Regroup, a leading provider of integrated telepsychiatry services. The partnership allows Avizia to deliver Regroup’s comprehensive mental health services through its robust, system-wide telehealth platform to patients across the country. Together, Avizia’s platform and Regroup’s behavioral health provider network give partners all of the telehealth tools, resources and support they need to conduct secure, seamless telepsychiatry consultations.

American Well to Acquire Avizia, Deepening Capabilities in Acute Care Delivery
American Well (@AmericanWell), a U.S. telehealth provider, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Avizia, a leading player in acute care telehealth. This acquisition will bring to American Well a comprehensive acute care capability, including the best in class hospital-based cart lineup and custom software workflows for more than forty clinical specialties, including telestroke and tele-behavioral health. The move will enhance options available to clients across American Well’s diverse telehealth ecosystem, including health systems, health plans, consumer aggregators, and health care service innovators, enabling clients to choose one comprehensive single platform solution. This acquisition is scheduled to close in late Q2 subject to the attainment of certain conditions.

To Read:

From the Synzi Blog – Bridging the Gap: How Virtual Care Can Help the Mental Health Care Crisis – The nationwide shortage of mental health professionals make virtual care a viable and necessary option for patient care. Read the article.

Social Determinants of Health and The Role of Virtual Care – Increasing costs of healthcare and prevalence of chronic diseases are motivating payers to improve the health of member populations while managing the resources involved. In order to impact overall health, payers are recognizing the need to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). Read the article.

Upcoming Events:

SPS 2018
What: Telemedicine & Telehealth Service Provider Summit (SPS)
When: October 8-9, 2018
Where: Glendale, AZ