Virtual Care: Transforming the Way We See Our Providers

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Posted By: Roberta Mullin June 19, 2019

In this monthly 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 Telehealth on RCM Answers.

Hashtags to follow for updates on virtual care:

To Listen:

From The Tate Chronicles, host Jim Tate’s (@jimtate) guest is Dr. Rishi Madhok, CEO and Co-Founder of BitMED and a practicing physician for over 10 years. Recognizing the flaws in the healthcare system, he was inspired to start BitMED. He still practices emergency medicine at UCSF Medical Center and is an editor at Telemedicine Magazine.

Industry News:

Grape Hospital Partners with Synzi to Enable Patient Care During Record Flooding
Synzi (@SynziCare), a virtual care company, has announced that George C. Grape Community Hospital (Grape), will be using its virtual care communication platform to deliver remote medical care to its community significantly affected by recent flooding in southwest Iowa.

LifePod and iHome Announce Strategic Collaboration to Launch
LifePod Solutions Inc. (@OurLifePod) announces a strategic collaboration with SDI Technologies Inc., and their iHome (@iHome) division, to bring to market a first-of-its-kind proactive- voice service designed to improve the quality of life for family and professional caregivers as they monitor and support their aging relatives or healthcare clients coping with social isolation, various medical conditions or special needs in their homes. LifePod’s Virtual Caregiver service can be set up and controlled by a remote caregiver using an intuitive online portal that delivers personalized voice check-ins, reminders, and virtual companionship.

American Well® and Cisco to Expand Telehealth in the Home, Via the T.V.
American Well® (@AmericanWell), a U.S. telehealth company, announced it is working with Cisco Systems (@Cisco) to extend care delivery from hospitals and health systems into the home. For this initiative, the companies will leverage their respective expertise in healthcare infrastructure and collaboration technology, to transform the telehealth options currently available to elder patients. Initial plans include converting in-home television sets into American Well patient CarePoints for broad based, telehealth care delivery.

Alternative Behavior Strategies Introduces First Smartphone-based Digital Platform to Assist Autism Therapists
Alternative Behavior Strategies (ABS), a leading provider of services to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), announced the launch of the ABS Virtual Office, the first smartphone-based platform to connect autism behavioral therapists to the information and knowledge they need—wherever they are—to enhance services and promote clinical excellence and advancement.

Winona Health SmartExam Now Serves Minnesota and Wisconsin
Winona Health (@winonahealth) SmartExam, an online service that allows people to get high-quality, efficient healthcare via their smartphone, tablet or computer, is now available to residents throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. SmartExam, a direct-to-patient non-video virtual care platform created by Bright.md (@Bright_Health), allows individuals with colds, flu, allergies, rashes, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, pink eye, sore throat, ear aches and many other common medical conditions to receive a diagnosis, treatment plan and prescription, if necessary, without an appointment or an in-person visit.

To Read:

Synzi
Optimizing Available Resources with Virtual Physical Therapy and TeleRehab – According to the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association), applications of virtual care and telehealth in physical therapy already have roots that expand throughout patient/client care and consultation, allowing PTs to better communicate with patients/clients and provide more flexible care. Virtual sessions will not replace traditional clinical care; instead, technology will help home health agencies better leverage available staffing resources and enable their PTs and PTAs to provide services in a greater capacity.

Virtual Care and Comfort: How Telehospice Helps Patients and Caregivers – Considered the model for quality compassionate care for people facing a life-limiting illness, hospice provides expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient’s needs and wishes according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Hospice focuses on caring, not curing. In most cases, care is provided in the patient’s home but may also be provided in freestanding hospice facilities, hospitals, and nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

How Virtual Care Can Increase the Quality and Quantity of Referrals – Hospitals are under the microscope for lowering the overall cost of care – including the related lengths of stay and readmission rates – while strengthening patient engagement. To minimize penalties and maximize performance, institutions are seeking out home health agencies which efficiently and effectively “bring the hospital to the home.” Agencies which can show higher patient satisfaction scores, lower readmission rates, and more quality rankings are invaluable to these referral sources.

GlobalMed
Controlling Prison Healthcare Costs with Telemedicine – When you think of a typical telemedicine visit, you might picture a patient in a rural town communicating with a big-city specialist, or a primary care provider triaging with an emergency room department. Virtual care is now a regular aspect of the clinical landscape, from disaster recovery to behavioral and addiction treatment to military life.

Saving Money, Saving Lives: Replacing Emergency Air Transport with Telemedicine – When a medical emergency hits – say, a car accident or a heart attack – no one’s first concern should be about the price tag attached to the ambulance or medical air transport. But the sad truth is that many patients will avoid requesting emergency transportation because they fear the cost. Instead, they call an Uber or ask a family member to come home from work and drive them to the hospital. And even a 30 minute delay in urgently needed care can have drastic consequences.

Transforming Disaster Recovery with Telemedicine – Recently GlobalMed’s Chief Clinical Officer Gigi Sorenson and Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Dean Smith presented talks about disaster recovery and telemedicine at the International Conference on Disaster Medicine and Hurricane Resiliency. Hosted by Society for Disaster Medicine, the St. Maartens conference focused on public health challenges after hurricanes.

GlobalMed

Several more interesting articles on Virtual Care have been posted on GlobalMed, click on the links below to check them out.

Upcoming Events:

The American Telemedicine Association Events
ATA is a non-profit association based in Washington DC with a membership network of more than 10,000 industry leaders and healthcare professionals. We are a leading telehealth association helping to transform healthcare by improving the quality, equity and affordability of healthcare throughout the world. Find their next event.

AHIP Institute

Defining 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.