What to Expect from a Telehealth Virtual Office Visit

The many different components of telehealth are becoming something familiar and frequently utilized within the healthcare industry. Whether it be remote monitoring or a telehealth mobile app, telehealth is becoming a very constant part of how health care is delivered to patients across the country. One of the main aspects of this tool is the telehealth virtual visit. The virtual office is used by patients and providers to meet via live-video communication. Completed on a mobile device, PC, or laptop, telehealth virtual visits are offering quality healthcare through a more convenient avenue. What should providers and patients expect from a telehealth virtual office visit? Why are patients choosing these over traditional visits?

1)    More Patients

Part of what makes the telehealth virtual visit so appealing is that it gives access to healthcare to patients trapped in a primary care physician (PCP) desert. Not only does this help the patients in desperate need of a physician, but it brings more patients to providers. Providers now have access to patients outside of their normal travel radius. This will increase the flow of new patients into your practice. The telehealth virtual visit makes it possible for providers to grow their practice.

2)    Increased Patients Per Day

In the past, providers have been limited to the number of patients they can see in a day. The telehealth virtual visit has made it possible to visit with more patients per day. This is possible because telehealth should be fully integrated with the EHR at the practice. This means that patients can complete intake documentation and update their information from their homes, saving time in the office. In the same way, providers can complete documentation and bill a claim right from the telehealth interface. The telehealth virtual visit cuts down on the time the provider spends between visits on administrative work and allows them to spend more time face-to-face with patients. 

1)    Decreased Travel/Wait Times

One of the many reasons that patients are switching to telehealth is that they spend less time driving and waiting in the office, and more time in their day-to-day lives. The last thing a patient wants to do is take a large amount of time out of their day to take themselves or their child to the doctor’s office where they will most likely have to wait for what seems like forever. The telehealth virtual visit makes sure patients do not waste time out of their day on their doctors, but still makes sure they are staying engaged in their personal health. With the telehealth virtual visit, patients can log on to their compatible device, visit with their doctor, and go on with their day.

2)    Reduced Costs

Another reason that patients are excited about the telehealth virtual visit is that it saves them money in multiple ways. Most obviously, it reduces the cost of traveling to the doctor’s office. They no longer have to use their gas to get there, which means the world to some patients. Many patients across the nation do not live close to their providers and have to drive a long distance to visit them, costing them a decent amount of money. Another way that the telehealth virtual visit is saving the patient’s money is decreasing the number of visits to the emergency room. Now, for non-extreme cases, patients can visit with a physician using telehealth to determine if they need to go to the Emergency Department or not. This can save a patient a lot of unwanted emergency department costs if they do not truly need to go there. The last way that the telehealth virtual visit is saving patient’s money is the fact that it is increasingly covered by insurance.

The telehealth virtual visit is changing lives for both patient and provider. Bringing more patients to a practice and allowing a physician to see more patients per day, telehealth is earning providers more money and a greater reputation. Also, by saving patients time and money, the telehealth virtual visit is helping to make health care more convenient for patients all over the United States.

If you’re interested in telehealth and want to find out more, contact us. We can give you a free demo to show you how telehealth would work with your office.