Virtual care solutions have been slowly gaining acceptance over the last few years. Still, many practices and health systems rapidly adopted emergency telehealth solutions due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Because of the use of low-cost or free teleconferencing software such as Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype, many providers were able to connect with patients face-to-face, preventing many from delaying medical care in the early uncertainty and upheaval that resulted from the virus.
Those temporary solutions were not created for operating rooms and clinics; they were designed for boardrooms and living rooms. A virtual care solution that can scale to their specific needs will be required eventually, even for the smallest clinic.
Here are Ten Indications that you have Outgrown your Virtual Care Service.
- The Solution Needs to Protect Patient Data Adequately.
A telehealth platform that was not designed with security in mind can expose patients to hackers who interrupt conference calls for mischief. Zoom has added security measures in response to recent scrutiny, but they still do not provide end-to-end encryption. Due to backdoors left open by Zoom, hackers may steal patient data or infect their devices with malicious software. Neither Skype nor FaceTime is HIPAA compliant, nor are they secure.
Hucu.ai is a HIPAA-compliant cloud-based storage healthcare solution that confirms the security of patients’ information and data sharing.
- Having to Alter your Procedure Rather than Adapt to What Works Best for you is Forcing your Solution.
There are no customizable out-of-the-box solutions. Therefore, your providers must take extra steps before and after their virtual care sessions to succeed. Every extra click that your provider makes and every change made to their workflow reduces efficiency, increases the likelihood of mistakes, and contributes to provider burnout. You are established, and your virtual care solution should support proven workflows.
- Your EHR Doesn’t Integrate With Your Solution.
Unless you pay more licensing fees, your providers cannot use the EMR for video calls. Reimbursements are slow because your virtual care platform needs to keep up-to-date with allowable reimbursements, document receipts, or track expenses. Your providers spend an extra 2 hours on data entry for every hour they spend with their patients and the time they spend with their patients.
EHR integration is the most effective method to boost efficiency, reduce data entry mistakes, increase the number of time physicians spend with patients, increase clinician satisfaction, and possibly even boost payments. You should be able to integrate your virtual care platform with your calendar and practice management system to see which providers are available for virtual appointments at all of your locations. You should also be able to easily handle intake and triage, correctly directing patients based on their information. Your virtual care solution should result in an efficient and satisfied patient and provider experience.
- Patients Feel Their Virtual Visit was Impersonal and Cold Because your Solution Provided a Hard, Impersonal Experience.
A virtual care service that uses generic workflows is likely to alienate your patients. Patients can tell the difference if the virtual care process itself is poor. Webside manner will not compensate for this if patients are put off. If patients are reluctant to receive care because they prefer the comfort of an in-person visit, they may delay until they are ready. Your practice should be as unique and specialized as your virtual care solution.
- Patients are Complaining about Wait Times and Connectivity.
Patients find virtual care appealing because it saves them time by avoiding sitting in a waiting room. However, if their doctor is unavailable for a video chat for thirty minutes or more, or if the connection speed needs to be better for a video chat, they will become irritated and quit. Virtual care should be as quick as making a phone call.
- Providing your Solution Results in Extra Work for your Providers, Creating Extra Work for your Providers.
If your virtual care solution needs to be integrated with your EHR, your healthcare practitioners usually open a new window or program to begin a virtual appointment. Creating a unique username and password, learning a new software interface, and then returning to the EHR to enter clinical data or whatever else is next in their workflow, for example, is required. They may also need to switch between user accounts. The fewer places a provider must sign in. Fewer programs must be learned. The less likely your solution will be used. It should be simple and enjoyable for your staff to utilize your virtual care solution.
- You Cannot Take Advantage of Other Team Members or Third-Party Providers in your Solution.
It should be as seamless as in-person handoff or inviting an interpreter to a meeting when you hand off your patient to another team member or invite an interpreter to a meeting. Unfortunately, conventional teleconferencing solutions only allow you to connect a patient from one call to the next without prematurely dropping someone. Escalating a phone call or routing a patient to someone else may appear improbable, but it shouldn’t be. Interpreters should be able to offer services at any moment of the day and to anyone without needing to manage a number of contracts. Virtual care solutions should enable meaningful connections.
- Your Solution is either too Expensive or too Time-Consuming.
Some popular telehealth services require costly equipment to function. Others charge a monthly premium per provider and restrict the number of sessions. For example, ADT, EMR, billing, and management systems are additional features or integrations you might want. It adds up quickly. If you are curious to know if virtual appointments will be reimbursed at the same rate as in-person appointments, every expense counts. Likewise, you can’t afford a solution that takes six months to a year to put in place. Your practice’s virtual care solution should be up and running in weeks, not months, and should save you money.
- Your Solution Needs to be More Scalable.
Your current plan only supports as many virtual visits as your patient desire. Virtual care allows you to see more patients, gives your doctors more options to provide care and ensures that those most in need can obtain care. As your practice grows and adapts to meet the demands of your community, you will need a virtual care platform that can adapt and grow with you. Your patients can receive superior care with a flexible virtual solution.
Please do not let your virtual care solution prevent you from giving your patients the best care possible. Hucu.ai solutions can help you provide your patients with an excellent virtual care experience.
- Patients Must Download An App To Use Your Solution.
Patients who have to download an app to perform virtual visits are being denied care. Patients who do not have a certain level of technical expertise cannot use mobile apps. A smartphone or other device with enough storage to install a new app is required, as is an internet connection or data connection sufficient to complete the visit.
Users can sign up and begin benefitting from Hucu.ai in minutes. In most cases, facility administrators can get their entire team (100+ people) in 15 minutes! Join Hucu.ai HIPAA-compliant instant messaging now using the self-service sign-up. Virtual care should eliminate barriers to care, not add to them.
