Nationwide, as Americans continue to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing, physicians continue to see patients. To ensure access to medical care when it is needed most — while minimizing potential COVID-19 exposure — MEDNAX Telehealth, powered by VSee, offers seamless access to a secure, easy-to-use telehealth platform. It allows hospitals and providers to deploy HIPAA compliant virtual care to patients in a matter of days.
Telehealth and telemedicine are broad terms used to encompass a variety of clinical activities. It’s been used for years, somewhat behind the scenes from the perspective of health care consumers. For example, physicians routinely review lab results or imaging studies, such as ultrasounds or x-rays, remotely. Remote monitoring of patient vital signs is also common. The more recent and growing trend, videoconferencing, gives physicians the ability to communicate with their patients in real-time with the same ease as video-chatting with a family member.
“For certain conditions, telehealth can offer access to a wide range of specialists and clinical consultation options, but for other more serious or acute care conditions, telehealth is intended to be an augmenting or facilitating tool,” says Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, M.D., Chief Quality and Innovation Officer at MEDNAX.
“Telehealth has been critical during COVID-19. It allows us to meet with patients in the environment where they feel most comfortable,” said Hanoch Patt, MD, MPH, a pediatric cardiologist with Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology Associates of Texas. “Through video conferencing, and in some cases remote monitoring, we have been able to evaluate whether or not an in-person visit could be postponed so we could limit our in-office care to our highest risk patients.”
With built-in onboarding, scheduling, communication, documentation, payment and revenue cycle management options, the MEDNAX Telehealth solution offers a scalable platform for delivery of virtual-based care.
“The scheduling function helps me easily access the video visit with a single click, and with our EHR, I can review my upcoming patients’ histories and any results.” Said Dr. Patt. “Even more important is how easily a staff member is able to enter or leave the video conference. A scheduler can begin the telehealth appointment, then transition the patient to a medical assistant, and finally hand off that patient to the physician or other provider. We can also add a translator or other family member to the visit. This efficiency makes telehealth a positive experience for providers as well as patients.”
The benefits of telehealth extend beyond the current COVID-19 epidemic. Physicians, especially certain specialists, usually cover large geographic areas and may consult nationally; but they can’t be everywhere at once.
MEDNAX Telehealth enables access to specialists through a scalable solution that can be operationalized in days, and ensures patients have access to care without travel, saving patients time and money.
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