Telemedicine enables healthcare professionals to use telecommunications technology to remotely assess, diagnose, and treat patients.In the past ten years, this approach has undergone a deep evolution and is becoming an increasingly important part of  the healthcare infrastructure.

Telemedicine is simply defined as, “the remote delivery of healthcare services“. There are 3 common types of telemedicine, which include but not limited to:

Interactive Medicine – which allows patients and physicians to communicate in real-time while maintaining HIPAA compliance

Store and Forward – which permits providers to share patient information with a practitioner in another location.

Remote Patient Monitoring – which allows remote caregivers to monitor patients that reside at home by using mobile medical devices to collect data (e.g. blood sugar or blood pressure)

There are few limitations to how telemedicine can be applied. Here are a few examples of how it is being used today.

Using health software for routine follow-up visits is not only more efficient for providers and patients, but it also increases the likelihood of follow-up, reducing missed appointments and improving patient outcomes.

The increasing rate of chronic disease is a major challenge for our health system. It is a prime candidate for the use of telemedicine software because it makes it easier and less expensive for patients to maintain control over their health.

One telehealth program for patients with congestive heart failure reduced 30-day hospital readmissions by 73 percent and six-month readmissions by 50 percent.

Weight loss and smoking cessation are the keys to reducing heart disease and a host of other conditions. Telemedicine can be a valuable tool in connecting providers with patients to make sure they get the support they need to be successful.

When children become ill at school, they might visit a school nurse or be picked up by their parents and taken to an urgent care center. Some innovative districts have teamed up with doctors to conduct remote visits from the school. The provider can assess the urgency of the case and provide instructions or reassurance to parents.

Telemedicine software has already proven to be useful in keeping residence of assisted living facilities out of the hospital. Problems often occur at night or on weekends, making hospitalization the only option even for less urgent problems. With telemedicine, on-call doctors can conduct a remote visit to determine if hospitalization is necessary.

It can be simple or complex for a provider to implement telemedicine into their practice. Most require a basic HIPAA-compliant video conference software for solo practitioners and clinics to start delivering telemedicine consultation.

For providers looking to have a complete virtual clinic solution, they need to consider their existing workflow and incorporate the telemedicine software solution into their practice. Usually, these software need to have a waiting room, EHR, and payment function.

Large medical groups or hospitals usually require custom telehealth solutions to fit into their existing workflow to lessen the disruption of adopting telemedicine as it's harder to train large numbers of physicians to change their behavior.

Besides the software part, providers should do due diligence on the telehealth regulations and reimbursement policy for their country or state, which will be discussed later in this article.

Organizations will have to change operationally and know the regulations, legalities, and technological aspects of implementing telemedicine. Many organizations decide to partner with a telemedicine company to make the transition and implementation easier.

Telemedicine is conducted in several ways. The most basic is just a simple video call (like you usually do with family and friends). However, most countries require a secure HIPAA compliant video conference tool, so telemedicine companies provide this secure and simple-to-use solution for providers.

Telemedicine is also conducted with portable telemedicine kits that include a computer and mobile medical devices, such as ECGs or vital signs monitors. High-resolution digital cameras are also available for physicians to send detailed medical images to specialists.

Lastly, there is robust telemedicine software that allows everything from data storage to live video conferencing. Overall, there are many innovative telemedicine equipments to meet the various needs of patients today.-

Telemedicine allows health care professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients at a distance using telecommunications technology. The approach has been through a striking evolution in the last decade and it is becoming an increasingly important part of the healthcare infrastructure.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designates Telemedicine as “healing from a distance. “ Telemedicine involves using electronic communications and software to provide clinical services to patients without an in-person visit. Practitioners use Telemedicine to transmit digital imaging, video consultations,  remote medical diagnosis, medication management, follow-up,  management of chronic conditions, visits, specialist consultation, and other medical services that can be provided remotely via secure video and audio connections.

Today, in-person check-ins with physicians are no longer necessary.  Patients located in remote locations with limited access to care can benefit from modern healthcare through secure online consultation.

HealthIT.gov designates Telehealth as “the utilization of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health education, public health and health administration.”

There is a distinction between Telemedicine and Telehealth. Contrary to Telemedicine, Telehealth refers to a broader scope of healthcare.

While Telemedicine relates to remote clinical services delivered by a physician, Telehealth can refer to remote non-clinical services, including administrative meetings, provider training, and continuing medical education, in addition to clinical services. 

The World Health Organization refers to  Telehealth as “Surveillance, health promotion, and public health functions.”  Telehealth is not a specific service but a collection of methods to improve patient care and education delivery.

In general, one can think of Telehealth as all-encompassing, as telemedicine and telecare fall under its umbrella.

Telemedicine vs Telehealth. Although the terms telemedicine and telehealth are often used interchangeably, there is a distinction between the two.

What are the difference between Telemedicine and Telehealth

Why Introduce Telemedicine into Your Practice? 

By now, you have likely heard of telemedicine but may be unsure how to best implement it into your practice. Employers are increasingly offering telemedicine as a lower cost option for employees1 and at least 29 states now require health insurers to pay for telemedicine services.2 With the telemedicine technology market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate at more than 18 percent by 2020. It only makes sense to jump on board or be left behind in a competitive industry. Telemedicine  reduces in-office overhead and improves the provider’s efficiency. This makes it possible for the practitioner spend more time on each visit or to see more patients. The ease-of-access for patients reduces no-show, improve compliance with the provider care plan. It also allows practitioners to work from home, choose their own hours and reduce the amount of time it takes to see patients. 

Telemedicine is a prescription for any practice wanting to improve: 

Revenue - Implementation of a telemedicine program generated 11% in cost savings, leading to an estimated ROI of $3.30 in cost savings for every $1 spent 

Patient accessibility - 76% of patients care more about access to healthcare than need for human interactions with their provider

Patient care - No patient outcome difference was found between telemedicine appointments and in-person office visits 

Competitiveness - about 90% of healthcare execs report their organizations have already begun developing or implementing a telemedicine program

Physician work/life balance - 79% of physicians consider video visits to promote a more flexible work-life schedule

One of the most common concerns of practitioners is that implementing telemedicine will be expensive, complicated and time consuming. Fortunately, because of cloud technology, in four steps, you can implement telemedicine affordably, easily and quickly. 

Step 1: Define goals, strategy & timeline 

Clearly articulate the goals of implementing telemedicine, how and when you will measure progress, and exactly how and when you plan to reach those goals. 

Get input and buy-in from providers, staff and other business services, like marketing before creating a small implementation team. Designate one project leader who will serve as the main point of contact and provide progress updates. 

Step 3: Consider rules, regulations and reimbursement

Laws, regulations and coverage vary by state so do your homework or rely on telemedicine technology provider to know the facts before you begin offering the service to patients 

Evaluate the provider and the technology for ease of use, security, ease of integration, security, branding, and reimbursement & regulations verification. Keep in mind your provider should partner with you and be available to help your patients and your team with any questions that may come up. 

How to Build Telemedicine into Practice Workflow 

If your practice has been doing things the same way for many years, implementing telemedicine may at first seem to be a big change. There is almost always pushback whenever new technology is brought in and additional training is needed. Telemedicine should not be considered an added burden to manage, but an exciting enhancement to your practice that will likely result in significant ROI, patient satisfaction and better work-life balance. 

Things to Consider when building telemedicine into your workflow: 

Choose a cloud-based solution for the easiest, fastest implementation and integration with your EHR, secure encryption, and built-in features to help you navigate through regulations and reimbursements. While new technology can be daunting, telemedicine uses high speed internet connections and high-definition cameras on devices most everyone in the U.S. already uses. Neither you nor your patients will need to buy special equipment or require training to use the service. 

While no one will need training on how to use the technology, you will need to educate staff and patients about the value of telemedicine, when and how it will be used. Schedule a short training session for staff so they are comfortable marketing it to and answering questions from patients. Offer to download the application on patients’ devices for them if they have it with them at the time of an in-office appointment, then walk them through how to open the application and log in. 

Determine when telemedicine visits will take place during the day and how they will be scheduled. You may want to block off certain hours of the day to conduct video visits, particularly if your practice has a high volume of in-office appointments. Because video visits need to start and end precisely at the scheduled time, it may be more challenging to have them interspersed throughout the day. 

Staffing - Video visits do not necessarily have to be conducted by the primary physician. Just as with on-call rotations, consider alternating days with fellow practitioners in your practice. You can also enlist nurses and physicians assistants to conduct the calls when appropriate. 

Work with technology provider to understand which services are covered by insurance and how much video visits will cost patients. Not every call will need the same amount of time so price sessions in time increments. Alternatively, inform your patients the call will last X minutes and if you need additional time, a follow-up appointment can be scheduled. 

Reimbursement - Reimbursements may vary by state and care given. Make it easy and choose a telemedicine solution with reimbursement expertise and eligibility verification built in so you can save time and get reimbursed faster. 

Choose a video conferencing solution that is HIPAA compliant, is encrypted, leverages peer-to-peer networking, and does not store video transmissions. The provider should also be willing to sign a Business Associate Agreement binding them to HIPAA rules.Your patients may want to better understand their privacy with video visits so consider adding a paragraph to your HIPAA forms explaining how video visits are equally compliant. 

Now that you have the technology and process in place, it’s time to let your patients know about your new service offering. You do not have to spend much money marketing telemedicine and many solution providers will equip you with plenty of materials to promote video visits. The most valuable marketing will come from your staff who interact with patients. Ensure front desk staff, nurses, schedulers and billing understand how and when to talk about telemedicine to patients. 

With incoming patient calls, offer telemedicine as an option, when appropriate 

Inform in-office patients of the option for their next appointment 

Keep brochures and signs suggesting patients inquire about video visits in waiting room and exam rooms 

Inform all patients of the option and “how to” in newsletters, social media, medical bills, etc. 

4 Steps to Educate Patients about Telemedicine 

Most patients will be receptive to telemedicine for its convenience but may need to have a conversation with you or someone on your staff. Don’t assume they understand what telemedicine is or how it works. Instead, take the time to explain it and answer their questions. Keep in mind, many patients will need to be assured the care will be the same and their privacy will be respected. 

“Telemedicine allows us to conduct visits using audio and video over the internet, rather than meeting in person.” 

 “We schedule a video visit like an in-office appointment. You will open a free application designed specifically for this purpose on your smartphone, tablet or computer with internet access and a camera. I will open the application on my end and we will talk to and see each other just as we would in the office. We can discuss symptoms, lab work, prescriptions, follow-up care, treatments and any questions you or I have.” 

“Our patients love this new option because there is no travel or wait times, no need to leave work or schedule childcare, no exposure to sick patients, and it can be done from the privacy and comfort of your home or office. We make sure your insurance company will cover this type of visit before we schedule it.” 

Step 4: Defend it - “If we believe you will be better served at an in-office appointment, we will not suggest a video visit. If we are on a video visit and believe there needs to be an in-office follow up, we will ensure that happens. Studies show most healthcare visits are just as effectively treated using video visits as in-office appointments. Our telemedicine solution is 100% HIPAA compliant so confidentiality is assured, particularly when you use basic online prudence, such as using strong passwords and joining the call in a private area.” 

How to Ensure A Positive Telemedicine Experience 

At the heart of telemedicine is the fact that it does not replace face-to-face doctor-patient interactions, but makes them more accessible. Patients will be able to see practitioners from their computers or devices so it’s important to present a professional, secure environment. Here are a few best practices to ensure your patients feel they are receiving top quality care, even without being in your office. 

Make eye contact with the camera so the patient feels you are looking at them 

Discourage interruptions by suggesting children, pets, televisions or other 

distractions are removed during the call 

 Control your background so the patient sees you in a professional environment 

Have the right technical infrastructure to enable you to have access to their charts, lab work or imaging while you are on the call 

 Eliminate distractions on your end by placing a sign on your door that you cannot be disturbed during your calls 

 Keep hand motions to a minimum as they can be distracting on a video visit 

 Dress appropriately, even if you are working outside of your office or after/before clinic hours 

 Minimize natural light by ensuring you are not sitting in front of a bright window so your patients can easily see you 

 Speak in a normal voice without shouting or talking too quietly, asking patient if they can hear you well before proceeding with the appointment 

 Share tips with patients about how they can follow many of these same steps for the best possible telemedicine experience 

How telemedicine is used in modern practices, tips to get started,  what to look for in a telemedicine technology, how to market to patients, and ensure a positive telehealth experience.

Telemedicine Best Practices: The Steps to Success 

Primary care physicians are noticing a shift in their patient base. With the development of urgent care centers and access to virtual on-demand care, some patients are foregoing regular primary care visits in favor of these other--often more convenient--options. Patient leakage is starting to change the patient-physician relationship.

There are roughly 9,000 urgent care clinics in the U.S. 

The number of urgent care centers is expected to increase to 15,000 by 2019

Urgent care revenue is expected to increase from $13.7 billion in 2011 to 17.9 billion by 2017

Old news: Urgent care centers appeal to patients who need care when their PCP office is closed, or they cannot get an immediate appointment. In some situations, they can also be less expensive and deliver care faster. 

 85% of urgent care centers are open 7 days a week, with 95% closing after 7 pm

66% of urgent care centers have wait times of less than 20 minutes 

 Only 29% of primary care practices offer after-hours coverage

In a recent JAMA study, 74% of families surveyed first considered going to their pediatrician but chose a retail clinic because: 	 
undefinedundefinedundefinedundefined

 Leakage to On-demand Telemedicine Providers 

A new trend: Many employers are now offering  on-demand  telemedicine  for employees as a way to give  access to care and lower benefits costs. However, these on-demand  telemedicine services are yet another delivery channel pulling patients away from their PCP. 

20% of U.S. employers provide telemedicine services to employees today 

40% said they plan to offer access in the next year and 33% in the next 3 years. 

Some consider that the effective use of telemedicine services could eliminate 15% of physician office visits. 

The Big 4 On-Demand Telemedicine Companies  

There are four well-funded companies in the on-demand telemedicine space. While these on-demand services can effectively keep patients out of the ED, they are also pulling patients away from their PCPs. 

While the convenience of on-demand telemedicine  and urgent care centers and  is attractive, there are unintended consequences that cannot be ignored -- and more must be done to guarantee patients are not put at risk. 

Fragmented, Non-coordinated care can result in  conflicting treatments, unnecessary testing and a weakened patient-physician relationship. 

Without access to history and medical records, urgent care centers and on-demand telemedicine providers risk misdiagnosis and dangerous medication interactions 

The  economics of a practice changes  when the easy,  less-time consuming, and less complex cases are lost to urgent care and on-demand telemedicine providers. Clinical practices cannot survive on complex cases alone, and this is accelerating the decline in independent practices. 

The number of independent physicians fell from 57% in 2000 to 37% in 2013, and is predicted to fall to 33% by the end of 2016.

24% of physicians are considering selling their practice.

Solution: Bring Video Visits to Outpatient Clinics 

Because of the convenient access and improved continuity of care, most patients believe video visits with their PCP are a good idea. 

According to a recent recent survey from Towers Watson: 

74% of consumers would use telehealth services given the opportunity.

76% of patients prioritize access to care over the need for in-person interactions with healthcare providers. 

70% of patients are comfortable communicating with their healthcare providers via text, email or video in lieu of seeing them in person

Major Benefits of Offering Video Visits 

Benefit #1  Increase Patient Satisfaction & Retention 

No need to take time off work, battle traffic, or spend time in waiting rooms—improve patient satisfaction and retention by providing convenient care. 

Most patients prefer to maintain the relationship with their PCP, but want easier access. 

Expands patient base to rural communities where 20% of Americans live but only 9% of the nation’s physicians practice. 

Easier access = better compliance with treatment plans (especially important for patients with chronic conditions) 

Provider has access to the patient’s medical record to view history and notes from previous consults -- reducing the risk of misdiagnosis, unnecessary testing, and adverse events. 

Continuity of care can be assured and the physician-patient relationship is strengthened 

 Benefit #3 Generate Incremental Revenue

Perform lower acuity follow-up visits over telemedicine using mid-level providers, while reserving in-office appointments for new patients and higher acuity visits. 

Replace unpaid follow-up phone phone calls  with fully billable video visits (usually at the 99213 - 99214 level).

Easily add a few extra visits in the evenings and on the weekends, driving incremental revenue.

The telemedicine market is expected to grow to $38.5 billion in revenue by 2018, a compound growth rate of roughly 32% per year. 

Telemedicine isn’t going away anytime soon. Any physician hoping to remain relevant and profitable will likely need to jump on the video visit bandwagon. Patient demand for access and convenience, combined with employers’ desire to reduce benefits costs is rapidly changing the healthcare delivery landscape. Urgent care centers and on-demand telemedicine options are quickly filling a void that PCPs are able to fill themselves in many cases. All it takes is a slight change in perspective and the right technology! 

Contact Zapclinica to offer Telemedicine visits in your practice today. 

Patient leakage to urgent care  is a costly issue for many practices. There is a new aspect of patient leakage that practices need to be aware of: leakage to on-demand telemedicine companies.

What to Know about patient leakage and How to Avoid it.

Revolutionizing clinical trials with workflow automation

The pressure is on. Life-science companies seek to market innovative treatment faster, but clinical trials become more challenging and require running and coordinating complex processes involving stakeholders from all over the world. The complexity stems from the need to comply with extensive and consistently evolving regulations, the increasing costs to conduct clinical trials, and the effort and nuances of governing clinical trials. As a consequence, the clinical trial industry turned to technology in the hope of alleviating some of these increasing burdens. Still, the return on investment failed to reach an acceptable level. Current technology hasn’t been able to keep pace with these increasing challenges, despite being the industry that invests the most in R&D. The enormous increase of data generated by clinical development is outstripping the ability for legacy software to efficiently and quickly manage the competing need for data sharing, patient privacy, and data integrity. Ultimately, clinical trials take more time and increase in cost.

This article will outline the main issues related to clinical trial management. It will describe the landscape of technology available today, its main limitation, and the consequences on time and cost. Finally, it will introduce a novel technology developed by Zapclinica: workflow automation for clinical trial operation. This technology aims to revolutionize clinical trial management by replacing manual processes with an intelligent and autonomous engine that enables the clinical team to focus on higher-value work instead of repetitive tasks.

Why have clinical trials increased in cost? Why do they take more time?

As discussed in the introduction, clinical trials have increased in complexity, face a more stringent regulatory environment, and require a vast workforce that must be adequately managed. These aspects have had a considerable impact on today’s clinical trials. Let explore them in detail.

First, clinical trials have increased in complexity. Based on multiple studies conducted by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development ( CSDD ) over the past 15 years, protocols have more endpoints, procedures, inclusion/exclusion criteria, amendments, sites, and case report forms. This situation increases the burden of execution on clinical trial coordinators and health providers to ensure strict compliance with protocols. It increases costs and performance and the overall risk of errors, as well as lengthens the amount of time necessary to train the clinical team. Some of the reasons for the increase in complexity include a focus on chronic illnesses that requires additional data to measure more difficult clinical endpoints, a need for more data to differentiate products based on efficacy or safety differences, requests for additional data from regulatory agencies, purchasers and payers to address concerns about drug safety and comparative effectiveness, and a shift of post-approval studies from observational to robustly controlled.

As the complexity of clinical trials increases, complying with regulations also becomes more difficult. The landscape of clinical trials has changed considerably over the past decade. With stricter regulations and increased complexity in the protocol, clinical trials have produced much more than before. Numerous resources are needed to ensure all the processes are compliant. Maintaining visibility into the compliance program requires communication across the organization. However, a traditional compliance workflow often becomes burdensome on an organizational scale. Emails and calendar notifications become lost in the day-to-day clutter of operations and meetings. During a clinical trial, multiple stakeholders can share overlapping compliance responsibilities, but someone also needs to set tasks and assign responsibilities. That person then needs to ensure that tasks are completed on time. This outdated process can lead to confusion and missed deadlines, which overwhelm the team involved in the clinical trial.

On top of that, managing all the stakeholders involved in a clinical trial is challenging and time-consuming. Hiring and training highly knowledgeable and effective staff for clinical trial management takes time and resources. In the current environment, it has become hard to manage staff efficiently without causing unnecessary issues and delays in the clinical trial’s success.

High turnover in the industry interferes with the consistency of processes, reduces the quality of data, and increases the risk of errors. There is no strategy in place to transfer knowledge. Alleviating the issue by relying on outsourced trial management does not result in the expected outcome; outsourcing without proper support from the sponsor to identify and prioritize essential tasks results in opacity and wasted time. Consequently, consultants tend to focus their efforts on non-important study risks. Managers end up without a holistic understanding of the project. Important information is not formalized and tends to be held only by a small group of people. Finally, time pressure on personnel increases the number of people who are unable to take the time to understand the data — reduce to source data verification in detriment of risk management.

With these challenges, one would ask about technology currently used in the industry. Technology was supposed to bring clinical development into a new age of ease and compliance and enable faster delivery of information. But it has become part of the problem by promoting isolated databases from a multitude of different vendors. Users need to log in to various applications with different credentials and user IDs. Data are often transferred from one system to another manually, thus incurring a high probability of errors in the process. Without a standardized process, every data transfer needs special treatment, which becomes even more intricate when you involve third-party vendors. This adds a risk of data discrepancy, threatening the safety and reliability of the study. In the age when data have become an asset, it is unacceptable. Data are a crucial business asset from which we can extract value and gain a competitive advantage. Those who use data well will be the success stories of the future. More and more pharmaceutical companies understand the importance of data in those competitive markets and treat them as a corporate asset.

As a consequence, clinical trials cost more and take more time. It takes an average of $2.6 billion, including the cost of failures, and 10–15 years to discover, develop, and get approval for a new drug. Additionally, only one of every 10 drugs that start trials ends up being approved by the FDA; 80% of clinical trials fail to meet their expected milestones and lose between $600K and $8M each day a drug is delayed from the market.

Clearly, a breakthrough technology needs to be created to solve these issues.

Say hello to workflow automation for clinical trials.

Zapclinica developed a new technology that removes repetitive manual tasks with automated processes operated by an intelligent system. By leveraging self-operating processes that perform manual tasks, workflow automation will save time and money, diminish errors, and boost productivity in your clinical operation. In order to understand the potential of the technology, let’s showcase the benefits of workflow automation with a use-case scenario.

Let’s automate the process of IRB approval of the study post-site selection. As mentioned earlier, clinical trials are comprised of processes that are manual. When an investigator agrees to participate in a clinical trial, the sponsor and the investigator work together to seek IRB approval for a site to start enrolling participants in the study. This process is usually called IRB approval of the study’s post-site selection and includes tasks like collecting essential documents, delegating responsibilities, and training. On average, it takes six months to complete. This process is intense and requires time and patience. The study project manager, study monitor, or CRO representative usually manages this process by phone or email. Failing to follow up with an activity results in delays and non-compliance, which might trigger a concern from regulatory authorities during the audit. Transforming this manual workflow into an automated one is easy and yields huge benefits. Below is a simplified version of this process, after being automated through an automation assistant:

1. The first step is a trigger. An automation trigger is an initial input that kicks off the activation of an automated workflow. In a sense, an automation trigger is, quite literally, the first step in automation. In this case, the trigger happens when a new site is added to the EDC. The workflow is automatically initiated and executes the first action.

2. The second step is action. An action is an event a workflow performs after it is triggered and can leverage any application or tool of your choice. In this case, we leverage the Tasks application and create a new task assigned to the principal investigator. The task requests document review of the protocol, brochures, recruitment materials, informed consent template, and CRFs template.

3. When step 2 is complete, request the principal investigator to send all of these documents to IRB.

4. When step 3 is complete, request the principal investigator to upload the IRB approval.

5. When step 4 is complete, automatically store the IRB approval directly in the expected location in the ETMF.

Below an example of ongoing automated workflow

On March 10th, a new site, Sutter Health, was added to the EDC. This trigger automatically generated a task assigned to Hellen Doe, principal investigator at Sutter Health, who was required to review the protocol. As the automated workflow unfolds, a new step will be added until the full completion of the process according to the requirements.

The benefits of this system are obvious and immediate. By automating the flow of actions and precisely configuring the steps in adherence to the protocol, we have effectively let the system take care of all the burden that would otherwise be on the shoulders of the sponsor clinical team. The automation process now eliminates any human error, delay, or opacity to the process. This novel approach completely changes the rules of the game. Let’s review the main advantages of this new technology.

First, workflow automation reduces the complexity of managing clinical trials. With fewer papers, fewer emails, and less time-wasting when managing or requesting statuses, the clinical trial becomes easier to manage.

Secondly, it improves governance and oversight. All users can see what they need to do. When they are done, the system validates their actions and passes to the next person. So, it’s no longer necessary to run after people to request relevant information or get things acknowledged.

Moreover, we can enable a few experts to create well-designed, automated workflows at scale as well as to measure, in real-time, the value of human and automated work across a clinical trial. We can learn from past decisions, simulations, or real-time data to improve workflow accuracy. When changes to logistical rules are required, users can quickly update them, providing the agility and speed needed to meet changing demands.

Third, it improves compliance with regulations. Streamlining the process with workflow automation makes documenting part of the system. Audits rely on documenting policies, processes, and procedures rather than manual tasks. Auditors can verify the audit trail just by looking at the workflow history.

This novel technology has been developed over the past three years and is patented. We hope to bring it to the market so clinical trials won’t be as hard as they were in the past.

High turnover in the industry reduces the data quality, increases the risk of errors, and results in process inconsistencies.. How can automation remove manual processes and help accelerate clinical trials completion while reducing costs?

After a patient’s initial diagnostic visit, there is often follow up care that is needed. Typically, this involves a patient scheduling another in-office appointment or waiting for a nurse to call. The problem? 

The average time a person spends in a doctor’s waiting room was 21 minutes 

 It takes 121 minutes each time a person seeks medical care (includes travel time, wait time, paperwork time) 

The average opportunity cost of a medical visit is $43 (the value of lost work and productivity) 

83% of conditions can be resolved by a virtual visit 

Inefficient for practice - skipped appointments = missed revenue 

Medical practices average a 5 to 7% no-show rate 

Two missed co-pays per day can cost a practice nearly $60,000 per year, excluding administrative and payroll expenses lost scheduling and rescheduling appointments 

The current way of managing a practice and its challenges 

Nurses spend hours a day returning calls, contacting patients with lab results and discussing follow-up care and prescriptions. Because in-office appointments are usually considered inconvenient and expensive, patients are increasingly calling the nurse for free medical advice. The problem?

Phone calls to physician practices have increased between 25% and 50% since 2008 

It costs practices $15-$20 per patient call 

Prescription renewal calls cost a practice $10,000 a year 

Telemedicine just might be what the doctor orders when it comes to managing a healthy practice. The small upfront investment promises benefits to patients, physicians, nurses and staff.

You can market the telemedicine option as an accessibility and convenience benefit for essential follow-up care with face-to-face interaction with a physician or nurse:

Offer counseling services and specialist referrals 

For a practice to be profitable and have longevity, it must be reimbursed for as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Telemedicine hits the bottom line in 2 ways: 

Each patient interaction is billable, bringing in an additional source of revenue 

Practice costs are reduced with less administrative work 

On average, a barebones practice would have to bring in $700,000 to $800,000 a year in business to be profitable 

Telehealth visits have the potential to save the healthcare system more than $100 per visit 

For every $1 invested in telehealth, the practice saved more than $3, or $200 per patient each month 

Zapclinica makes telemedicine simple, convenient and profitable - in 6 easy steps 

Enable telemedicine appointment scheduling through integration with existing EHR scheduling system 

Use Zapclinica Automation to automatically check patient telemedicine eligibility in minutes 

Send patients automated email confirmation with link to the video visit 

Doctor/nurse and patient can join video from any location via mobile app or web browser 

Bill patient or patient’s insurance provider for an office visit 

Get reimbursed quickly from private payer insurance and Medicare CCM Program 

Ready to see how Zapclinica can get you paid for telemedicine faster and with less work?   Contact us at contact@zapclinica.com  or visit our website : https://zapclinica.com

How Telemedicine Changes the Way Doctors Do Business 

Physician practices are in the “business” of helping people. Like any company, they need revenue from anywhere they can get it, especially with the current challenges of the U.S. healthcare system.

Convert unpaid patient phone calls into billable telemedicine visits.

Easily add extra appointments in the evenings and on weekends.

Capture Medicare Chronic Care Management (CCM) reimbursement.

Provide surrounding rural population access to your practice

One of the biggest culprits of practices failing to thrive is office inefficiencies. A successful practice must run like a well-oiled machine. Telemedicine optimizes efficiencies so practices can recoup their expenses faster.

Create efficient blocks of back-to-back telemedicine appointments

Eliminate eligibility checking, co-pay collection, and reminder calls

Seamlessly integrate with current EHR and practice management systems

High-quality patient care and positive clinical outcomes are the ultimate goals of any healthcare provider. Unfortunately, accessing this care can be complex and inconsistent for many patients. Crucial follow-ups are missed, and clinical outcomes can suffer.

Easier access = better compliance with treatment plans, particularly for patients with chronic conditions

Face-to-face video visits are more effective than follow-up phone calls, especially when discussing abnormal lab/imaging results

Clinical outcomes are becoming increasingly important in value-based reimbursement

No matter how efficient your practice maybe, you won’t succeed if your patients don’t return. Ensuring each patient feels valued and receives the highest level of care is critical. Video visits enable providers to be highly available, even during off-hours.

Create ultimate flexibility for patients to “visit” the doctor from the comfort of home or office

The Zapclinica Blog

What is Telemedicine ?

Zapclinica - Last updated : 4/29/2021, 12:57:43 AM

What are the difference between Telemedicine and Telehealth

Zapclinica - Last updated : 4/29/2021, 12:32:06 AM

Telemedicine Best Practices: The Steps to Success

Zapclinica - Last updated : 4/30/2021, 10:20:07 PM

What to Know about patient leakage and How to Avoid it.

Zapclinica - Last updated : 5/2/2021, 2:03:38 AM

Revolutionizing clinical trials with workflow automation

Zapclinica - Last updated : 4/25/2021, 8:51:28 PM

How Telemedicine Changes the Way Doctors Do Business

Zapclinica - Last updated : 5/5/2021, 8:44:06 PM

Top 5 reasons your office should be offering Telemedicine

Zapclinica - Last updated : 5/4/2021, 3:02:56 AM

Seven Steps to start offering Telemedicine into Your Practice Workflow

Zapclinica - Last updated : 4/30/2021, 9:49:26 PM

How do you drive patient appointment volume?

Zapclinica - Last updated : 5/5/2021, 7:19:51 AM

See Zapclinica in action

A tour of Zapclinica just for you - how it works, and how it can meet your needs.

Part of the Zapclinica platform

Follow us on :

Products

Telemedicine

Forms

Automation

Dashboard

Task

EDC

ETMF

Visit

Training

eConsent

Contact

Payment

Logistic

ePro

eSource

More about us

Investor relations

Careers

Trust

Press Coverage

Announcements

Ressources

Get started

Blog

Support center

Sitemap

Business associate agreement

Contact us

Send a message

email : contact@zapclinica.com

Help

Privacy

Terms

See Zapclinica
in action