Hcs 531 - Health Care Organizations and Delivery Systems

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Another study done on Veterans that use telemedicine or e-health found that these service achieve savings in cost, time and travel. Between 2005 and 2013 they counted a total of 5700 eVisits for 2000 patients, and stated that “on an average there was a savings of 145 miles and 142 minutes per patient per visit”. That totaled 824,724 miles saved in travel and 13,400 hours of driving. This is a very high point when trying to promote this service to the patients. The drive time and distance reduced on an average saved each Vet $28.86 per eVisit, even better the yearly saving came out to be $18,555 for those that were eligible for reimbursement for travel (VA. Jayanth, 2016).

In 2014 the number of eVisit skyrocketed well pass 75 million, and it these numbers are real and they have not stop growing. A very large facility in Florida, one of the higher ups stated “You can earn in a virtual visit about what you earn in an office visit for diagnosing and treating the same condition -- or maybe a little less, depending on the state, the health plan, and the network. However, you can see up to six patients an hour (a virtual visit typically lasts about 10 minutes). If you're productive, you can add a tidy supplement to your regular office income”. Videoconferencing on a personal computer, laptop, tablet, or a smartphone -- as well as remote visits via old-fashioned telephone, secure email, and even texting all can be done with eVisits, these numbers are real and remember they are growing every day (Chesanow, 2014).

On an average providers are charging about $49.00 per visit, but access is 24/7. Say you went to bed around 9pm, woke up around 2am not feeling well, you do not even have to get up, reach for your cell phone and sign in and Wala! A doctor is available to listen to what is going on and try to give you a solution to your problem. Need a quick refill or maybe a new medication, grab that tablet and sign on a doctor will be available to you. You are on your last therapy visit and feel a few more will make things right, grab that laptop and sign in, a doctor will be available to you. All these are advertisements to have your patients try it out, see what it is about, if you do not like make your office appointment online and receive real time verification via a text or email, it all is a part of the new concept eVisits, coming to a city near you.

References

Bee Well eVisit Contracts (2015). Retrieved from www.beewellpediatrics.com/pdf-./E%20Visit%20Contract.pdf

Chesanow, Neil (2014). Virtual Visits Benefit Physicians as Well as Patients: A New Source of Revenue for Physicians.

Hickson, Ryan (2015). Online Medical Care: The Current State of “eVisits” in Acute Primary Care Delivery. Telemedicine journal and e-health. Volume: 21, Issue: 2, Page: 9 – 96. DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2014.0022

Jayanth, Akanksha (2016). Teladoc completes 3,000 e-visits in one day. Becker's Hospital Review E-weekly: Health Information Technology. Retrieved from http://www.-beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/teladoc-completes-3-000-e-visits-in-one-day.html

Jayanth, Akanksha (2016). VA telemedicine saves $18,555 a year in travel costs per visit. Becker's Hospital Review E-weekly: Health Information Technology. Retrieved from http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/va-telemedicine-saves-18-555-a-year-in-travel-costs-per-visit.html

Pallardy, Carrie (2015). Centura Health, MDLIVE partner on new telemedicine program. Retrieved from http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/centura-health-mdlive-partner-on-new-telemedicine-program.html