Digital technology has upended what it traditionally meant to carry out practice activities, primarily, by transcending the need for physicians and patients to be geographically proximal. With the onset of a global pandemic and, as a result, extensive lockdowns, many practices have shifted their operational modality to virtual means that mimic in-person visits. A successful telehealth solution imitates in-person visits with proficiency while also providing ease at every level of patient-provider interaction; from scheduling appointments, providing medical prescriptions to processing transactions, etc. Additionally, a successful telehealth system should be able to counterbalance any perceptible inadequacy resulting from physical remoteness between patients and providers.

While designing and implementing an effective telehealth solution, certain aspects need to be worked through scrupulously. These are:

• Appointment scheduling

The process of scheduling appointments should base on a quick and smooth workflow and take the least amount of patient’s as well as provider’s effort and time, virtually or otherwise. It is significantly easier, than it is while setting appointments in-person, to schedule by means of digital setup. Telehealth solution should likewise be designed to provide information about available time window, and plan appointments accordingly, on provider’s website, or any other platform at hand, in just a few clicks.

• Digital intake

The telehealth system should be equipped to generate and forward default messages or emails reminding patients of their scheduled appointments every suitable interval prior to the actual visit. The link, after accepting authorized patients, should direct them to an online waiting room where front desk staff is available to guide them about and through the entire e-visit process.

Important Read: Common Questions Regarding Telemedicine

• The visit

When it comes to the visit itself, providers, as well as patients, should acknowledge the inadequacies they might come across during the virtual patient-physician interaction, and plan and manage accordingly. An efficient telehealth system attempts to minimize these inadequacies by letting physicians share relevant links, media and files with patients when required. Access to shared files, medical prescriptions, clinical content, future appointments are some key components of an effective e-visit workflow. An Electronic Health Record (EHR) system helps keep track of these activities by allowing providers to monitor progress in real time, as well as long term access, storage, retrieval and analysis of patient data.

• Concluding the visit

Finally, a concise account of the visit should be prepared and communicated with the patients after the visit has been concluded. Additionally, patients need to reminded of their financial obligations and prompted to make due payments on time.