Preparing Your Practice For Telehealth Services

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Preparing Your Practice For Telehealth
Services
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Preparing Your Practice For Telehealth Services
Role of Telehealth During COVID-19 Telehealth has
proved to be an effective option to fight the
outbreak of COVID-19. Telehealth services played
a major role in preventing, diagnosing, treating,
and controlling diseases during the COVID-19
outbreak. Even though an extended COVID-19 public
health emergency (PHE) is scheduled for April 16,
2022, policymakers are thinking about extending
telehealth flexibilities on a permanent basis. As
a healthcare service provider, if you are not
offering telehealth services then you might be
missing out on something big. This article covers
the basics of telehealth and useful information
which would be useful for preparing your practice
for telehealth services. Basics of
Telehealth Telehealth, sometimes referred to as
telemedicine, is the use of electronic
information and telecommunications technologies
to extend care when the provider and the patient
arent in the same place at the same time.
Technologies for telehealth include
videoconferencing, store-and-forward imaging,
streaming media, and terrestrial and wireless
communications. Telehealth services may be billed
and paid differently, depending on the
payer/insurer and providers geographic
location. Telehealth provides various benefits
including continuity of care extending access to
care beyond normal hours overcoming clinician
shortages, especially among rural and other
underserved populations providing support for
patients managing chronic health conditions
screening patients with symptoms of COVID-19 and
referring as appropriate and enable patients who
are vulnerable to COVID-19 to continue receiving
medical care safely.
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Preparing Your Practice For Telehealth Services
Telehealth is more appropriate for general
wellness management of chronic care discussion
of test results counseling about diagnostic and
therapeutic options dermatology prescription of
medicine nutrition counseling and mental health
counseling. Telehealth is less appropriate for
health concerns that require procedure abdominal
pain eye complaints, gynecologic complaints,
dental complaints highly nuanced or multiple
complex health problems and any situation in
which a physical exam would change your
recommendation. Types of Telehealth Live
video Also referred to as real-time a two-way,
face-to-face interaction between a patient and a
provider using audiovisual communications
technology Store-and-forward Remote evaluation
of recorded video and/or images submitted by an
established patient E-visits Non-face-to-face
patient-initiated communications through an
online patient portal
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Preparing Your Practice For Telehealth Services
Remote patient monitoring Use of digital
technologies to collect health data from patients
in one location and electronically transmit that
information securely to providers in a different
location (data can include vital signs, weight,
blood pressure, blood sugar, pacemaker
information, etc.) Audio-only visits Use of
telephone for visits without video Mobile health
(mHealth) Allows patients to review their
personal health data via mobile devices, such as
cell phones and tablet computers, which can be
done from their home and assists in communicating
their health status and any changes often
includes the use of dedicated application
software (apps), which are downloaded onto
devices Case-based teleconferencing Method of
providing holistic, coordinated, and integrated
services across providers usually
interdisciplinary, with one or multiple internal
and external providers and, if possible and
appropriate, the client and family members/close
supports
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Preparing Your Practice For Telehealth Services

• Preparing Your Practice for Telehealth Services
• While you are preparing your practice for
  telehealth services following FAQs would be a
  good point to start
• When youll be available for telehealth
  appointments
• What services youll offer
• How patients will schedule appointments
• How youll access the information you need for
  each patient visit
• Who will greet the patient first when they join
  the visit, for example, you may want a medical
  assistant to ask some initial questions before
  you join
• How youll get consent from patients
• How youll support patients who have limited
  English proficiency
• How youll support patients living with
  disabilities, such as hearing loss or visual
  impairment
• How youll facilitate access to telehealth for
  all your patients and ensure they get the most
  out of their visit
• How youll support a caregiver or another person
  who needs to assist a patient during the
  telehealth visit
• How youll obtain payment after a visit
• Who will monitor the sustainability and long-term
  success of your telehealth program and adapt or
  modify the services based on patients needs and
  your resources/capacity

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Preparing Your Practice For Telehealth Services

• Talk with Patient about Telehealth
• Share the benefits of telehealth relevant to
  them. For example, explain how it reduces their
  exposure to COVID-19, is more convenient, and
  saves time
• Help them identify the equipment they have
  available for telehealth. Let them know that
  audio-only visits are available (if you provide
  them).
• Explain how their personal information will be
  protected
• Offer information to patients who may not be able
  to afford the cost of internet or phone services
  about other options or resources to help.
• Encourage them to check with their health
  insurance about how telehealth is being covered.
  If they are Medicare beneficiaries, let them know
  that CMS has expanded coverage of telehealth for
  Medicare beneficiaries.
• You may receive pushback from some patients who
  arent interested in using telehealth. Listen to
  their concerns and let them know telehealth may
  be an option if they change their mind
• Medisys Data Solutions is a leading medical
  billing company providing complete billing and
  coding services for various medical billing
  specialties. We can assist you in receiving
  accurate insurance reimbursement for telehealth
  services. To know more about our telehealth
  billing services, contact us at
  info_at_medisysdata.com / 302-261-9187

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