Updox, a telehealth platform, experienced a significant spike in demand throughout March, onboarding more than 10,000 new customer users to its HIPAA-compliant telehealth solution in just two weeks. Today, the company facilitates more than 45,000 telehealth visits per day between patients and their doctors, with that number increasing rapidly.
More than 300 million Americans are currently under orders to shelter-in-place as public health officials and providers work to contain and mitigate the coronavirus. Updox experienced a sharp increase in the demand for telehealth from mid-March, when more states began issuing stay-at-home orders and physicians needed a safe and secure way to connect with their patients.
Unlike some first-generation telehealth solutions, Updox allows patients to connect with their own physicians instead of someone unfamiliar to them. Likewise, rather than competing with physicians, the Updox platform supports practices to maintain revenue, protect staff and deliver care safely to their patients. Studies show that patients prefer receiving treatment from their own physicians, with whom they’ve developed strong, trusted relationships. In fact, according to a recent survey by Sharecare, 60% of Americans noted they would want to “access care with their primary physician if they experienced COVID-19 symptoms.”
The Trump administration temporarily changed the policy for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allowing healthcare providers to have phone-only visits with patients, which is a major breakthrough in the industry and one that was not allowed before.
With the coronavirus being spread throughout the United States, the administration understands the importance of social distancing and the pivotal role that telehealth will play in keeping patients healthy. What is necessary to support the amount of patients today is an economically sustainable, scalable and immediate telecare solution that is available to anyone, regardless of income, age, or location.
The way to keep the general population healthy, is in a fight to flatten the curve and protect most specifically older adults and those at-risk from COVID-19. Telehealth is likely the most effective way to provide care to those who need it and minimize exposure to the virus for the both the patient and the doctor. Right now the hospital systems are overwhelmed with the sudden influx of patients from this virus and telecare’s primary role is to treat patients remotely, reducing the pressure being put on the hospital systems.
Another important factor is the effects that social isolation has placed on older adults and how that will impact their overall physical and mental well-being. We created Uniper to provide a familiar service for older adults, right on their TV screens, mobile phone or desktop to have access to life: their communities, friends, family and physicians so that they can obtain much needed care, from a distance.
Uniper is designed to be economically sustainable, scalable, and accessible to anyone that needs it to help them thrive during these unusual times.
Maven, the largest telemedicine provider for women’s and family health, announced a new partnership with MassHealth, the Massachusetts, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. MassHealth will provide free telemedicine appointments for members with COVID-19 symptoms with Maven’s network obstetric/gynecologists, maternal fetal medicine specialist, pediatricians, family physicians, and general practitioners for women and families in Massachusetts.
MassHealth members will be connected through an online navigation tool to Maven providers through on-demand chat and video appointments 24 hours a day through the use of any web-enabled device.
“During the COVID-19 emergency, MassHealth has made unprecedented efforts to eliminate barriers to health care access, including expansive coverage of telehealth services,” said Acting Medicaid Director Amanda Cassel Kraft. “We are excited to announce this partnership with Maven ?to provide medical support to our members seeking guidance on COVID-19 symptoms or risk factors.”
In the wake of COVID-19, women and families are dealing with a myriad of health concerns, from managing conditions related to a high risk pregnancy to being discharged from hospitals soon after giving birth to caring for a newborn. Telehealth now plays an essential role in giving these women and families the support and care they need from the safety of their own homes.
“This pandemic has raised serious concerns for millions of women who are pregnant or have just given birth,” said Kate Ryder, founder and CEO of Maven. “We have doctors available around the clock to support MassHealth members and alleviate the burden on the healthcare system during this public health crisis. Massachusetts has long been a leader in healthcare and other states should look to their innovative response to this crisis as a model.”
With the incredible demand for care, trusted clinical data and information, and resources around COVID-19, Maven has developed dedicated COVID-19 resources. This includes:
Ongoing webinar series led by healthcare professionals to provide clinical updates on the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, answer member questions and address topics including pregnancy, fertility, anxiety and pediatrics. The next webinar will be held on Thursday, April 2 at 1:30 p.m. EST. Please register here.
Covid-19 support section in our member app for those looking to connect with specific providers.
Specific Maven provider in-app resources with the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.
The HIPAA waiver issued for telemedicine during COVID-19 is a game-changer for physicians now that CMS says virtual visits are reimbursable.
And now, telehealth is emerging as an effective and sustainable solution for precaution, prevention, and treatment to stem the spread of COVIS-19. But what do the new HIPAA waiver and CMS rule about telemedicine during COVID-19 mean?
According to Dr. Neil Baum, chief medical advisor at Vanguard Communications, professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane Medical School, and in clinical practice for 40+ years, the glass is half full.
“Telemedicine is a great opportunity for us to fill our glass and engage our patients in a way we never have before. We’re still able to practice good medicine without having to be face to face or touching a patient,” says Dr. Baum.
Telehealth is bridging the gap between people, physicians, and health systems, enabling everyone, primarily symptomatic patients, to stay at home and communicate with physicians through virtual channels, helping to reduce the spread of the virus to mass populations and the medical staff on the frontlines.
For healthcare professionals, this news means that CMS now allows providers to be reimbursed for the vast majority of virtual visits using telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Only a small number qualified for reimbursements as recently as March 14.)
Plus, no special software or extra expense for healthcare-specific hardware and software is needed. The tools are free and easy to use.
Below is a chart of the popular apps approved for telemedicine during COVID-19.
Dr. Baum says telemedicine will go a long way to enhancing a physician’s connection with patients and providing access to care but stresses the importance of documenting virtual visits and video conversations just as you would an in-office appointment.
“If you didn’t document, then you didn’t do it, and then you don’t get paid for it,” says Dr. Baum.
Visiting nurses are valued for their caring and compassionate nature. Their valuable skillset makes a difference in the well-being of their patients and the lives of patients’ families. However, they face unique challenges amid the coronavirus as patients and staff are concerned about receiving in-home care during this time. Bringing healthcare to the home is no easy task.
As NAHC President William A. Dombi stated, “Home care and hospice nurses, therapists, aides, and other providers who choose to use their lives to serve our country’s aged, disabled, and dying. This noble work deserves our recognition and praise.”
Home health agencies are on the front line amid the coronavirus pandemic. A recent Home Care Association of New York State (HCA-NYS) survey found that nearly half of agencies in the survey said they have experienced patients or family members refusing entry of home care personnel. “Different states and regions are at different stages in surveillance and monitoring,” Roger Noyes, director of communications at HCA-NYS, told Home Health Care News.
“This speaks to some very important educational and outreach needs to reassure patients and to ensure that vital care can be delivered,” Noyes said. In addition to patients’ hesitation to let nurses into their homes for in-person visits, many patients are already quarantined, sheltering in place, or social distancing. And, some patients are denying service because they appreciate their nurses so much that they do not want to risk getting their nurse sick in-person. Concurrently, the nurses themselves might also be wary of conducting in-person visits as they might not have sufficient protective gear and/or fear the risk of infection.
Agencies are implementing telehealth/virtual care to preserve their patients, their staff and their limited supplies. Technology can help agencies’ staff continue what they do – provide compassionate and critical care – and “be present” with their patients as much as possible. With technology, agencies can safely continue the delivery of care during this time and quickly communicate critical updates as needed. The technology helps home healthcare agencies:
Conduct virtual visits with patients to safely ensure continuity of care
Send out critical COVID-19 updates and self-care tips
Send condition-specific messages to improve ongoing adherence
Provide virtual access to their staff which helps nurses address patients’ emerging concerns and also alleviate patients’ loneliness while being socially isolated
With virtual visits, agencies are kept abreast of the realities of the patient’s home environment and their available resources (financial, food, social, etc.). Staff can continue to monitor their patients’ day-to-day situation and individualize the care (and conversation) to the “new normal” for the at-home patient.
Use of telemedicine in the U.S. has been low to date. However, asexpected, it is expected that demand for these services will increase dramatically over the next few months because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Telemedicine has been touted as a critical strategy during the COVID-19 emergency to limit the risk of person-to-person transmission of the virus, prevent emergency rooms from being inundated, reduce barriers to screening, and allowing those with moderate symptoms to be treated from home. Teladoc Health, a telehealth provider, announced that patient visit volume had increased by 50% since the previous week and was continuing to rise.
Kathryn Whitney, MSc, director of thematic analysis at GlobalData, said: “Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, telemedicine had never reached its full potential in the US, with several barriers preventing its widespread uptake. These include lack of reimbursement and restrictions affecting access for rural populations, general lack of awareness of these services, and the desire of the sick to see their physician in person.”
Since early March, regulations in the US governing the use of telemedicine have changed regularly, which will expand access to services during the COVID-19 emergency, particularly for Medicare beneficiaries who are deemed at high risk for the virus. In certain states, including California and New York, officials have also announced that payers must offer telehealth services as part of their emergency plans. In Massachusetts, payers must cover the COVID-19 testing and treatment via telehealth, and cannot impose cost sharing via co-pays, deductibles, or coinsurance, and prior authorization is not required to receive treatment via telehealth.
Whitney continues: “Recent changes to regulations by the U.S. government will remove many of the financial barriers to telehealth and drive the use of these services, particularly among older and vulnerable populations. People will also become more aware of these types of services, given amount of information being disseminated by the government, hospitals, healthcare systems and payers.
“As more U.S. cities and states begin to lock down and social distancing becomes the new normal for the foreseeable future, Americans are likely to change their views on telemedicine. With the ongoing risk of virus transmission, people will be eager to avoid hospitals and get screened and receive care from the safety of their own homes.”
We have all heard of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) which is believed to have originated in the Wuhan province of China. Which it then started spreading across the globe from major outbreaks in countries like Italy, Spain all the way to the United States. We know now there have been a number of countries who have gone in a nationwide lockdown (Italy, Spain, France, Germany).
Here in the United States, many states have been doing everything they can to limit the spread. For example, most restaurants, bars, and other social gathering areas have been closed or limited. Unfortunately, for healthcare workers, you are on the frontlines of this pandemic. Which will mean you may be the best source of information for family friends and clients.
Here are some tips as to what you may want to do. First, let’s start off with yourself. As we mentioned you are one in the thick of this epidemic and you need to make sure you are being safe and keeping yourself healthy and alert.
Of course, you need to follow the usual protocols of keeping your distance from others (when you can), make sure to be washing your hands when you can and, maybe the hardest for many of those working inside hospitals and clinics, make sure to get a good night’s sleep and eat as healthy as you can to keep up your energy.
Being alert will not only be crucial to keeping yourself safe but it can save a patient or coworker from being exposed to the virus. Whenever a new patient or individual comes to your clinic or emergency room take note of any symptoms they may be experiencing. Some of the known indicators of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) may include some flu-like symptoms such as cough, fever, sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue and muscle pain.
As COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States, health care providers are turning to technology to help treat patients who may be infected and also prevent the spread of the illness.
While there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Alabama, plans to use telehealth technology to fight the spread of the virus are already in place at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
According to Eric Wallace, M.D., the medical director of UAB eMedicine, UAB is considering using telehealth through three approaches to help care for patients both in Birmingham and around the state.
Keep patients at home
The first approach is to keep as many patients who do not have upper respiratory symptoms at home, especially those who have weakened immune systems. The most common COVID-19 symptoms are fever, runny nose, dry cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and body aches.
“We plan to use telehealth technology to see as many patients in their homes as possible, especially those who are most at risk, such as the elderly and immunosuppressed patients,” Wallace said. “For example, if you have a urinary tract infection, the last thing you should do is go to the doctor’s office and wait in a waiting room when you could have had your UTI treated from home.”
If you have any of the COVID-19 symptoms, you should call your health care provider first before going to the doctor’s office. If you do not have any of the symptoms, but need medical care, Wallace recommends calling your doctor or using UAB’s eMedicine online service. The service allows doctors to diagnose and treat patients for a variety of common conditions online. Furthermore, UAB’s eMedicine online service is now serving as a location to help screen patients with COVID-19 symptoms to determine whether referral for in-person testing is necessary.
Updox, a telehealth platform, experienced a significant spike in demand throughout March, onboarding more than 10,000 new customer users to its HIPAA-compliant telehealth solution in just two weeks. Today, the company facilitates more than 45,000 telehealth visits per day between patients and their doctors, with that number increasing rapidly.
The Trump administration temporarily changed the policy for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allowing healthcare providers to have phone-only visits with patients, which is a major breakthrough in the industry and one that was not allowed before.
Kathryn Whitney, MSc, director of thematic analysis at GlobalData, said: “Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, telemedicine had never reached its full potential in the US, with several barriers preventing its widespread uptake. These include lack of reimbursement and restrictions affecting access for rural populations, general lack of awareness of these services, and the desire of the sick to see their physician in person.”
As COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States, health care providers are turning to technology to help treat patients who may be infected and also prevent the spread of the illness.