Hospitals, specialty clinics, and other healthcare organizations are expanding telemedicine to provide quality services and generate revenue. With this growth and success in telemedicine, there are many options available for every organization. Providers must consider many factors in order to make telemedicine services successful for the patients and the organization.
Adoption and Return on Investment
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has been widely adopted. One study suggests that among 39% of patients who consulted a healthcare professional, two thirds of them used telemedicine. 84% of patients who used telemedicine services said it was their first telehealth experience. More than 55% of consumers reported a satisfactory experience while using telemedicine and stated that they would most likely use it again in the future. Healthcare professional who were surveyed believe telemedicine usage will continue to increase.
A survey done by the Foley & Lardner Law Firm illustrates that telemedicine provides an opportunity for practices and medical organizations to see a financial return.
- Over 70% of respondents realized cost savings or ROI from their telemedicine services.
- Nearly a third saw more than 20% savings.
Although many companies are seeing a positive ROI, it is important to make sure that providers choose the telemedicine service that is right for them. There are a variety of options and choosing the right telemedicine service or software will determine the level of success.
Features to Consider
Type of telemedicine – While people think of telemedicine as mostly doctors available remotely to patients, often a telephone triage nurse can resolve patient issues and provide a path to care. TriageLogic studies have found that a triage nurse can resolve three-quarters of all patient calls. Triage nurses can determine which patients need to receive further care or see a physician, saving both time and money. Organizations can have a complete telehealth system with triage nurses as the first line of care to further increase ROI.
Integrated – The telemedicine software should be able to integrate seamlessly with current workflows. For example, the recently upgraded myTriageChecklist can be integrated with Salesforce as well as existing EMR systems or paper charts. To ensure that adding new technology does not increase workload, the telemedicine software needs to be cohesive and allow data to be easily transferred.
Support – As with any technology, issues may arise. A successful telemedicine service should have training and support available to troubleshoot any concerns. TriageLogic offers unlimited training by a nurse manager and free access to the Triage Nurse Learning Center, which includes relevant lessons on nurse triage.
Adaptive – The only thing that is constant is change, and the medical field is the best example of this. The healthcare industry is always evolving and transforming. Whether it is regulation, new discoveries and inventions, or patient expectations, the only way to be successful is to adapt. Telemedicine service and software should do the same. Look for a company that is always listening to their clients and making upgrades based on what they need.
Measure Success – The best way to determine the ROI of a telemedicine service is to establish a way to measure its success. Choose a platform, such as TriageLogic’s Call Center Software, that includes different portals for clients to look at data and analyze it.
The telemedicine field has exploded in recent years and continues to grow, especially with circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Above are a few factors to consider when implementing or expanding telemedicine services, but it is important to research which solution will be best for your organization.
Are you looking to implement or expand your organization’s telemedicine services? Contact us today to set up a live demo to see if TriageLogic can make your service a success.
