Telemedicine refers specifically to processes and secure technology used to provide clinical services and care to patients such as evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, care follow-up, chronic condition and medication management, specialty consultations with direct communication between a provider and patient via the Internet or other communication portal taking the place of an in-person visit.
As more healthcare providers integrate telemedicine into their practices, they may find that increased patient engagement, compliance, reduced patient health care costs, and improved bottom lines are well worth the effort.
There are, however, a number of factors that have left many patients or providers unable to take advantage of this convenient option:
Barriers to Implement Telemedicine
Problem:
Inability or inexperience of patients with navigating online, including either lack of access to mobile or other devices or locations where telemedicine may be available.
Solution:
This is usually more of an issue for older seniors and may call for assistance by more tech-savvy family members or other caregivers.
Problem:
Small or solo practices may have concerns about incorporating telemedicine into practices due to perceived cost as well as finding the right platform.
Solution:
Ask whether the service quality will be as good as in-person visits, supportable on most devices and addresses security and HIPAA issues.
Telemedicine Billing Basics
- Because more payers are offering coverage of telemedicine, your front desk should always confirm whether telemedicine is a covered service.
- Enquire about any conditions or restrictions, such as minimum or maximum distance from a facility or provider, whether patients must give written consent or limits on the number of telemedicine visits allowed during a year.
- Ask payers about which are eligible codes: for example, depending on the state, some payers prefer the use of code 99444 with the (Medicare) GT (telemedicine visit) modifier, while other payers advise practices to use the evaluation and management (E&M) codes 99301-05 or 99211-15 plus the GT modifier. Other payers may use the QT modifier or 95 to indicate telemedicine visits.
The Telemedicine Market
Telemedicine is transforming how healthcare is being delivered and there are a number of design (and patient) centric companies and organizations who are re-imagining how medicine can be practiced and are driving the industry forward with innovative technologies and solutions especially in the Mobile Health markets.
In the United States, we have a very interesting health care system. In terms of Telemedicine, Mobile health is an area that is moving very quickly and is on the cutting edge of telemedicine is moving, especially when looking at how access to medical care can be opened up to a population that already possess and consumes the newest mobile technologies. According to some market reports, this industry has the potential to realize a growth of 20.8% by 2020 with a market of $86.6 billion.
This market is huge and to discuss it in its entirety would be a little ambitious for the scope of this article so let’s take a look at the mobile apps of the handful of companies that are doing some really cool game-changing things.
The delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities
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