{"id":315,"date":"2021-02-18T15:26:19","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T21:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/?p=315"},"modified":"2021-02-18T15:35:22","modified_gmt":"2021-02-18T21:35:22","slug":"telehealth-may-slow-outpatient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/2021\/02\/18\/telehealth-may-slow-outpatient\/","title":{"rendered":"Telehealth may SLOW outpatient revenue and patient access in the post COVID-19 era??"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the past year, telehealth has proven an invaluable tool <\/strong>for maximizing patient access. Telehealth claims have grown nearly 3000%<\/a> in the past year. Virtual visits, in particular, have been a saving grace for patients and providers alike during the pandemic.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens post COVID-19? <\/strong>How will we effectively balance in-person with virtual visits while keeping our schedules full?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know to stand out and win patient loyalty<\/strong> in the long term, providers must continue to offer telehealth services, including virtual visits, to meet the demand post-Covid.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As visit volumes continue to grow to pre COVID-19 era levels,<\/strong> however, there will be little room for inefficiencies in scheduling and completing a blend of telehealth and in person services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effective strategic and operational integration <\/strong>with virtual services will be critical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without an intentional, well-coordinated integration strategy,<\/strong> telehealth programs could inadvertently create barriers to patient access resulting in reduced capacity, volume and revenue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An effective telehealth program strategy <\/strong>should optimize effective financial and operational performance while balancing patient demand and provider preferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 3 steps for continued outpatient growth in the post COVID-19 era: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Define the scope of services offered virtually versus in person and how that scope may change over time as your needs and capabilities change.<\/strong>

    Consider which specialties, types of service and locations are telehealth priorities <\/strong>for you and your communities. Start there and expand or modify scope over time.

    Facilitate equity in health accessibility through telehealth<\/strong> for the underserved and rural populations.

    <\/li>
  2. Optimize provider schedules to maximize both patient accessibility and provider productivity by aligning patient demand with organizational goals and provider preferences.<\/strong>

    Gather provider input and preferences<\/strong> to define models that support productivity, quality and efficiency at the group, specialty, or department level.

    Incorporate clear and consistent schedules<\/strong> for virtual versus in person visits with inherent flexibility to accommodate provider preferences.

    Implement standardization and consistency<\/strong> to drive efficiency and productivity, while allowing for provider level flexibility to enhance satisfaction and wellbeing.
      <\/li>
  3. Maximize the investment made in telehealth technology while supporting efficient staffing models.<\/strong>

    Staff for the ideal process, <\/strong>not just for the technology you invested in, and\u2026

    Challenge the technology providers to offer automated solutions<\/strong> to repetitive, expensive to staff processes. (Staffing the virtual waiting room? Educating patients on how to download and use the app? There are technical solutions for these issues.)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    To explore how Intersect Health Systems can help you optimize your telehealth program for patient access and productivity, contact us today. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In the past year, telehealth has proven an invaluable tool for maximizing patient access. Telehealth claims have grown nearly 3000% in the past year. Virtual visits, in particular, have been a saving grace for patients and providers alike during the pandemic.     What happens post COVID-19? How will we effectively balance in-person with virtual visits while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[10,9],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/telehealth-may-slow-revenue-4.png?fit=940%2C788","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":333,"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions\/333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/209.240.135.31\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}