Telehealth as a service has seen a massive surge in adoption and usage over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary reason behind this recent growth is, of course, the fact that it has allowed patients to continue seeing their providers in a remote and safe fashion, circumventing the need to visit a healthcare facility in the midst of a global pandemic.

The healthcare industry is heavily dependent on technology; any industry with a reliance on technological growth and change is subject to the whims of the market regarding which new technologies become trendy enough to warrant adoption. Over 76%[1] of hospitals already offer telemedicine services, and it’s time all independent practices follow suit. The following tips will help ensure success for practices taking their first steps into the world of telehealth:

Knowing how to use it

Before taking the plunge and acquiring a telehealth solution, it would be prudent to do some research and fully understand how, exactly, the service works. Telehealth is an umbrella term that refers to the distribution of healthcare services via electronic communication technologies. As such, there are a few different types of telehealth services that can be offered to patients. For tracking a patient’s health status, remote monitoring is a fantastic solution. Fitness trackers, heart monitors, and other wearable technologies have progressed far enough that providers can get a fairly clear idea of the health of their patients remotely, allowing them to identify health-related issues that might require a closer look.

The form of telehealth most people will be more familiar with are the actual visits conducted over the internet, which require that both parties have access only to an internet connection, and a device that can facilitate audio or video communication. Wellness checks and minor complaints are easily addressed through telehealth sessions. In the absence of a device capable of video communication, providers can also have patients use secure email or other secure channels to share pictures and videos that might assist in reaching a diagnosis.

Billing

Running a successful practice requires sound financial management, a principle that is of even greater importance in a young service such as telehealth, where the rules and regulations around billing are still being defined. With all that said, a degree of extra care with regard to how billing for these services is handled would not be remiss. While providers being able to handle all of their billing on their own would be ideal, in reality, they are often far too busy to keep up with the constant changes being introduced. Thus, it is best for healthcare facilities to either establish an in-house billing department manned by experts or to retain the services of a third-party billing company.

[1] https://www.aha.org/factsheet/telehealth