Telehealth in Hospitals

In 2019, hospital video telehealth will rock the healthcare industry. And patients are the driving force behind this movement. As such, the jolt from this new platform has hospitals and doctors scrambling to implement video telehealth into their own practice.

The following is three reasons why you should implement hospital video telehealth into your medical facility:

Billable Codes

Currently, there are many billable codes for telehealth services depending on which state you practice. In addition, Congress plans to roll out in February 2019 a new batch of billable codes. Given the changes coming down the pipeline, providers cannot wait until the last minute to incorporate hospital video telehealth. You should already be thinking about how to optimize your processes, including training doctors, PAs, and nurses. Therefore, your facility will be fully operational when your respective codes come into play.

Home Healthcare

Many medical professionals are aware that patient preferences have shifted to home healthcare. Patients can now do their kidney dialysis or CPAP from home. But this shifting dynamic can also bring a whole slew of operations issues.

For instance, some healthcare patients need periodic examinations. And providing one-on-one patient support can prove difficult for overworked doctors or patients who live in sparsely populated areas. But hospital video telehealth can give instant, virtual assistance. Instead of patients coming into the office, you can virtually connect with them to check vitals and see how they’re doing. In addition, this technology provides real-time solutions, which allows healthcare providers to engage and retain more patients.

Patients are Demanding It

You need to be thinking about shifting patient preferences from a marketing perspective. The reason why many healthcare businesses are thriving is that telehealth reduces cost and is more convenient than traditional care. If a patient can choose between hospital video telehealth or sitting in a crowded ER, that patient will likely choose a virtual chat over and over again.

Across all demographics, patient convenience and engagement are key. For example, over 60% of the Millennial generation does not have a primary care physician. They would rather choose the convenience of a neighborhood clinic than remain loyal to any one doctor. Therefore, in this respect, healthcare providers need to be thinking beyond just billable codes. And should also focus on reducing cost, enhancing convenience, and overall patient engagement.

According to an IHS technology report, the hospital video telehealth industry is positioned to explode with an anticipated 7 million patient users the end of 2018. To learn more and see our technology in action download our Why Patients are Driving Video Telehealth Infographic.