May 20, 2023
As the world grows, so does the healthcare business and integrating telehealth into electronic health records (EHR) systems has been one of the most prominent advances in recent years. Telehealth solutions, including virtual consultations, remote patient monitoring, and other digital health services, have revolutionized healthcare for patients and physicians.
Yet, incorporating telehealth into Cloud Based EHR requires careful planning and attention for the best results. This blog will look at the four most important factors healthcare practitioners must consider when implementing telehealth into their EHR practices.
These ideas can assist healthcare professionals in optimizing their telehealth offerings for the benefit of their patients, from embracing new technologies to maintaining flawless processes.
In the U.S., over 95% of hospitals use an EHR system, and there are numerous advantages. Patients with chronic diseases benefit from EHR platforms because they reduce overhead costs, simplify data collection, and reduce mortality rates.
Remote patient care has become possible through telehealth. Nevertheless, clinical experts seek ways to streamline telehealth use in the clinician workflow. It may be possible to accomplish this by integrating telehealth and electronic health records.
Both operational and technical considerations are pertinent when implementing telehealth software in practice. To relieve administrative burdens, enhance practice workflows, and provide better patient care, telehealth should integrate with an electronic health records (EHR).
In general, 37 percent of physicians' time is spent on administrative duties. Some of the benefits of integrating EHR and telehealth are as follows:
Integrating these two systems reduces the need for double data entry. A telehealth visit allows providers to directly enter patient data into the patient's health record, making data entry easier.
Telehealth and EHR systems can evaluate patients' fitness before scheduling virtual telehealth visits. It eliminates confusion and costly obstacles in the workplace by compensating providers for their experience and services.
It helps in the virtual care experience between providers and patients. Telehealth software integrates easily with EHR systems, which they are already aware of.
Healthcare providers will take a hybrid telehealth solution approach as the pandemic falls, allowing in-person and virtual meetings—workflows, such as scheduling and notifying appointments, answering inquiries, and telehealth integration.
It is advised that practices consider how to structure virtual care since integration significantly redefines their relationship with patients. These practical steps provide a framework for optimal telehealth integration.
Decide what services you want to deliver virtually and how you will do so. There are some specialties and situations that require in-office treatment. Providers can manage patients' schedules with a scheduling function. Plan your schedule accordingly by contacting your patient base.
To prevent data overload, choose what data to enter. In chronic care management, data input into an EHR should be deliberate.
Overlay current in-person workflows with a virtual workflow. Patients enter the system, are received, and interact with the provider. During prescription refills, inform patients what medications and situations warrant a virtual visit.
Change from a routine phone call to a virtual visit. Providers who need to interact with patients in critical situations visually will benefit from this. Transitioning seamlessly from telephone-only to video without disconnecting supports care quality, notably in behavioral health. (Depending on your specific payer and during non-pandemic emergency rules) these encounters become reimbursable.
Provide patients with virtual access without requiring them to download an app. Integrating telehealth solutions with patient experience platforms facilitates online scheduling, accessing educational materials, and viewing diagnostic test results.
Integrating EHR with telehealth can give several benefits, including more effective and simplified healthcare delivery, improved patient outcomes, and expanded access to treatment. Yet, several things could be improved in this integration. These are two of the major challenges:
The interoperability issue is one of the most difficult aspects of merging EHR and telemedicine. The capacity of various systems to communicate and share data is referred to as interoperability.
Telehealth solution and EHR systems must be able to transfer data reliably, securely, and promptly to interact successfully. It can be difficult since separate systems frequently employ different data formats and standards, making it difficult to transfer information seamlessly. To address this issue, healthcare institutions and technology suppliers must collaborate to develop common data standards and procedures.
Privacy and security are other important barriers to merging EHR and telemedicine. When healthcare practitioners utilize telehealth to provide treatment, they must be able to access and communicate sensitive patient information safely and competently with privacy requirements such as HIPAA.
It is even more difficult when clinicians employ many systems and platforms to offer care. Healthcare institutions must create strong security policies to address this issue and ensure all employees are taught best practices for protecting patient data.
While integrating EHR and telehealth may present some hurdles. Healthcare professionals can overcome these hurdles and offer high-quality patient care more efficiently and effectively by employing the correct methods and technologies.
A telehealth platform integrated with an EHR system can help organizations maximize the benefits of this technology, such as improving clinical workflows. Many telehealth providers already integrate their systems with leading EHR platforms, allowing patient information to flow seamlessly.
Telehealth and EHR systems can significantly improve the care delivery system. Get benefits from talkEHR's telehealth and EHR integration. Book a demo right now to understand how it works comprehensively.
