, a leading health information technology and services provider.

David Cohen

What was a small spark of interest in telehealth over the past decade quickly ignited in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country. As a result, many ambulatory care providers were forced to quickly pivot and find new, creative ways to connect with and treat patients outside of the four walls of their practice.

While once a fantasy, telehealth now makes this a reality.

From Then to Now: The Rapid Growth in Telehealth

Interestingly, in 2018 MGMA asked healthcare leaders 

what impact they thought telehealth would have

 on their organization, and only 48% responded they believed it would be positive, compared to 6% who responded it would be negative. Furthermore, 23% believed it would have no impact, and 23% were unsure. 

At the start of 2020, Forrester estimated that only about 

24% of U.S. healthcare organizations had virtual care programs

. Just a few months later, the entire healthcare landscape dramatically changed. Today, 97% have cited 

expanding telehealth access and use amid COVID-19

. And now, the number of practices relying on telehealth is anticipated to soar by the end of this year – with more than one billion telehealth visits projected, including 900 million related to COVID-19.

Tax savings plans targeting physicians require caution

Propelling Telehealth in Day-to-Day Practice

Much of this growth can be attributed to government actions addressing the COVID-19 public health emergency. For example, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services 

 to make it easier for providers to offer telehealth services in situations like routine healthcare, such as greater flexibility in HIPAA rules to enable practices to continue offering services like wellness visits, medication consults, eye exams, and mental health counseling. Otherwise, many practices would have had to close their doors during the height of the pandemic.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also made temporary policy changes, simplifying the process for people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to receive medical care through telehealth services. After CMS announced these changes, many private insurers followed suit, too, further fostering the use of telehealth during the pandemic.

By April 2020, telehealth claims increased 8,336% year-over-year. And within the first three months of COVID, more than 

nine million Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth services

Regardless of rules governing privacy and reimbursement, patients and providers are advocating for telehealth moving forward.

Why EHR-Integrated Telehealth Solutions Are Key for Ambulatory Care Providers

For ambulatory care providers, having a telehealth solution integrated with its core EHR is a key component to reducing provider burnout and maximizing the efficiency of the practice. Furthermore, an integrated telehealth solution arms practices with a complete interoperable health-IT solution – which is critically needed to succeed in a post-COVID environment.

While there are hundreds of telehealth platforms on the market today, the benefits of EHR-integrated solutions include:

 – Having a cohesive platform with a single dashboard enables providers to have all patient information convenient in one location, whether they’re being seen in-person or remotely, to make the best possible care decisions.

 – Tying these components together eliminates staff having to update the same information in different systems, and minimizes confusion associated with maintaining duplicate records or processes.

 – Navigating telehealth billing guidelines and the ever-changing requirements of CMS can be a challenge for practices, so it’s important that reporting and billing processes are flexible and easily adaptable to ensure proper reimbursements and payments.

 – A streamlined workflow, without duplicate processes, frees providers and staff from unnecessary administrative work, enabling them to do more of what they do best: treat and see patients.

 – As a result of increased patient volumes and greater efficiency, practices will benefit from stronger revenue streams, keeping the practice healthy and viable and thus maintaining business continuity.

Concierge medicine and primary care: The differences

By now, we all know that telehealth is here to stay. But in order for this technology to deliver on its true promise, especially as shutdowns and quarantines are nearing their end, today’s providers need virtual care solutions that can be fully implemented and integrated into established workflows, thus enabling an entirely remote patient-provider experience that can deliver on improving outcomes.

, is passionate about technology solutions that allow practices to thrive. He has more than 20 years of enterprise information technology leadership experience, with the most recent 15 years focused on healthcare. Service is core to David’s philosophy. He is committed to serving as a trusted partner to customers and helping them address the healthcare needs of their patients and communities.

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An entirely remote patient-provider experience can deliver on improving outcomes.

Integrating EHRs and telehealth platforms can benefit ambulatory care providers

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical procedures were put on pause in order to prioritize the health and safety of both patients and medical staff. With resources focused on battling COVID-19, 

 resulting in a stark revenue loss for practices and inconvenient delays for patients. 

Understandably, many patients remain apprehensive to reschedule elective surgeries due to potential fear of infection, and data shows that it may take anywhere from 

 for practices to “catch-up” on surgical procedures that were canceled due to COVID.

But as the country is working to reopen and bring back some sort of normalcy, healthcare providers, too, can prepare their offices and practices. To ensure physician and patient safety and quality care when welcoming patients back for elective surgeries and other procedures, consider these tips.

 Prepare for patients who refuse to wear a mask in your practice

Reopening Post COVID-19: Establishing an Internal Governance Committee & Plan

Before bringing patients back in person, practices should 

assemble a cross-functional internal governance committee to guide COVID-19 policies

. The committee’s objective is to keep the practice abreast of any local, state, or regional policies, and help you gradually and safely expand access to care.

From front office administrative employees to surgical staff, this committee should cover all aspects of patient care, such as pre- and post-op procedures, providing a dynamic perspective and informing real-time decisions on practice protocols. With guidance from the committee, practices can more appropriately plan for staff coverage, assess facility capacity, solidify equipment resourcing and establish workflows, ensuring that the practice honors local guidelines while also remaining cognizant and sensitive to the needs of each individual patient.

Once the internal governance committee is established, its first step is to develop a written COVID-19 outline or plan that clearly maps out new policies and guidelines, both for internal (staff) and external (patient) audiences. This outline can also serve as a guide to be used during staff training, incorporating guidance from your local jurisdiction on current COVID-19 infection rates in your community, local testing protocols and sanitization procedures and more. The plan needs to clearly communicate how your practice is testing for COVID-19 -- and re-testing asymptomatic patients or false negatives. You can also calculate PPE, medication and surgical equipment needs with the 

 to ensure your supply chain can support practice needs.

As you map out your practice's reopening plan, it’s important that it continues to prioritize patient care. Proactively address the following questions to alleviate patient fear and confusion.

Using multiple entrances to avoid high-foot traffic entrances?

Designating certain dates and times for infected vs. healthy patients?

Removing waiting room chairs and asking people to wait in their cars?

Requiring the use of cloth or N95 masks inside?

Addressing these questions in advance will not only ease patient apprehension, following these guidelines can also result in a more accurate, streamlined, and—most importantly—a sanitary check-in process. Practices may also find it helpful to space out in-person visits, fill in the gaps with telehealth visits to increase cash flow, and allow time for proper sanitization.

Once the plan is finalized, practices should begin communicating these new policies with patients and rescheduling previously canceled procedures. But, how should you 

? That depends on your practice needs. The internal governance committee should guide the strategic plan for delivery of care and help prioritize the sequence of procedures. For example, a practice may prioritize the highest payout procedures in order to revive cash flow. Additionally, practices can block certain times for procedures to take place, bucketing high-risk patients or infected patients to visit the practice during separate times to ensure sanitation protocols are honored. Overall, it's important for the governance committee to define and establish what's best for your individual practice. 

Traps to avoid with physician practice mergers

Communicating COVID-19 Procedures and Welcoming Patients Back In

As you begin to welcome patients back in, use digital tools such as 

 to inform patients about your new policies. Consider using 

 to answer any last-minute questions and to let patients know what they can expect during their visit, or when their appointment time has arrived.

Lastly, leverage your healthcare technology partners for support. Connect with their customer support teams and keep them abreast of your new procedures. Seek additional ways to improve the new policies or procedures to ensure patient safety and satisfaction during post-COVID visits. As we all are adjusting to new social norms, rely on the capabilities of technology to effectively educate, inform and communicate with staff and patients as elective procedures resume.

 chief product and technology officer at 

As you map out your practice's reopening plan, it’s important that it continues to prioritize patient care.

Author | David Cohen

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