Dr. Shauna Guthrie, Medical Director at Granville Vance Public Health is the sole physician providing primary care at four clinics in North Carolina. Dr. Guthrie needs to leverage clinic-to-clinic telemedicine, so she can coordinate with her nursing staff and midwife to provide virtual care and assess patients from any location.

The Solution

Each Granville Vance clinic is outfitted with telemedicine technology. Eko software maintains a connection with the CORE Digital Stethoscope and continues streaming even when in the background of a video conference service like Doxy.me. This feature allows for easy transition between applications during Granville’s visits, ensuring that they never lose connection and maintaining the fidelity of the live stream’s audio quality. Their deployment includes:

• Apple iPads
• Doxy.me Telemedicine & Video Solution
• CORE Digital Stethoscope
• Eko Enterprise with Live Streaming

The Outcome

With Eko, Dr. Guthrie can conduct more exams in real-time and eliminate the hassle of follow-up appointments. She can easily determine the type and severity of a murmur or wheeze and address it with accurate advice and often reassurance to the family and/or a referral to a specialist. Adoption of telemedicine has also created a new billable service. Only a few visits a year would make this system cost-effective.

At Granville Vance, Eko helps us increase access to primary care services without increasing staffing costs. We also lower the risk of no-shows for visits, which results in even more staff time used on following up and rescheduling. -Dr. Shauna Guthrie

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I treat adult and pediatric patients with everything from chronic diseases with an inflammatory component (including depression, arthritis, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, pain, low immune function, and more), to elite athletes and executives seeking peak performance in mind and body, to  women and men wanting hormone balance.  We do functional medicine blood and urine testing for everything from hormones to amino acids, fatty acids, heavy metals, vitamins, minerals, food allergies, detoxification, and digestive capacity.

The primary focus is doing my best to get to the underlying cause of the symptoms a patient is challenged with-be it mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual (usually there is a little of all four).  Our motto is “treat the cause” and you allow a patient to experience freedom from the challenges they are facing. No one is suffering from a Tylenol deficiency. There is a reason the patient needs it, and we do our very best to find an answer to the “why.”

I absolutely love what I do for a living and want to be able to reach more people, not only in Hawaii and in California, but also to provide functional nutrition guidance to people throughout the United States and abroad. I want to help as many people as I can to feel their absolute best.

Sometimes patients feel insecure or unsafe about leaving their home to go to a doctor’s office. Or they are just too busy to leave their home or office to get to a much needed visit for themselves or their child(ren).  Telemedicine removes a huge barrier for patients and I appreciate the simplicity of the platform that Doxy offers.

The reason I decided to add telemedicine to my practice was because my patients like being at home and I also have patients that travel  extensively outside of the country. Telemedicine allows me to still care  for patients who can’t physically come into my office in Newport.

You can connect with Dr. Gina Nick, NMD, PhD at DrGina.com, Instagram, or follow her on Twitter.

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The organization discovered Nest West, a program launched by the Mayo Clinic and also used at the University of Utah.

During some of her previous pregnancies,  all of which were low-risk, Aimee Baxter often wondered why she needed to  come in for such a quick appointment.

She feels this new option will help reduce stress, while still keeping a strong connection between her and the nurse.

“I  often thought, why did I have to come in? It was five minutes in and  out,” Baxter said. “I’m still going to feel connected, but not think I  went in just to do a couple things and find out it’s all par for the  course.”

Bloomin’ Babies Business Manager Dick  Kandiko said the program is beneficial not just for mothers traveling  long distances, but also for those who have trouble scheduling  appointments because of conflicts such as work.

“Some employers make it difficult for  employees to get off for an appointment,” he said. “It’s really a  convenience to have this program going.”

Sign up for a free account at doxy.me and start practicing telemedicine today!

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With the rise of mobile technology and online communication, a relatively new method of care delivery is on the upswing — telemedicine. Global Market Insights reports that the telemedicine market is expected to flourish and hit $64 billion by 2025, indicating that more and more patients are relying on telemedicine platforms today, especially in more rural and inner-city communities as we’ve previously mentioned in ‘Rural Patients Taking Advantage of Telemedicine’. A big reason for this could be due to the shortage of primary care physicians, which Maryville University estimates to reach a minimum of 100,000 by 2025. With such a devastating lack of professional healthcare in many areas, having access to them through technology, which is quickly becoming more widespread, could help patients across the country. However, with telemedicine platforms still being so new and fresh, what kind of factors should we be mindful of? We’re here to answer that by outlining what exactly telemedicine is, and what we, as patients, should expect from modern telemedicine platforms.

Telemedicine, or virtual health as Business Insider calls it, allows patients to have conversations with healthcare professionals remotely – saving time for both the physician and the patient. Telemedicine involves the use of electronic communications to provide clinical services to patients without an in-person visit.

Convenience, speed, and reliability.

The allure behind telemedicine platforms is their ability to provide fast, convenient and accessible care for patients. That’s why patients should expect a platform that is easy to access with the minimum possible steps needed to connect to their healthcare provider. Even with the growing population getting more comfortable with using computer-based communication, telemedicine platforms should still provide a simple process for patients to get the care they need from any location. Lastly, telemedicine platforms should be reliable, meaning patients should be able to connect to them every time they try, save for internet connection problems.

HIPAA compliant

Consumer-grade video conferencing applications such as Facetime or Skype are not encrypted or secure. As such, they are not compliant video conferencing solutions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This is important because all telemedicine platforms should be HIPAA-compliant in order to ensure patient confidentiality is not compromised. That said, patients should check whether or not the telemedicine platform they’re considering meets all the minimum standards for HIPAA.

Flexible hardware requirements

You shouldn’t have to buy a whole new device to use telemedicine platforms. Patients should be able to run their desired telemedicine platform on any device that can connect to the internet, has a microphone, and a front-facing camera. In other words, you should be able to connect to your doctor through the telemedicine platform from your computer, tablet, or phone.

Built-in support

No matter how easy to use telemedicine platforms can be, there will no doubt be some questions from time to time as it is a relatively new concept for some regions. Thus, patients should expect telemedicine platforms to have real-time, in-app support available where possible. This is essential as healthcare is highly dependent on technology, but it’s also worth noting if a problem is technical, such as the internet connection, the microphone, or whether there are camera issues.

Exclusively written by Ella Jones for Doxy.me

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It all began with a peer consultation group created by a clinician in Tucson who had a desire to connect to colleagues, learn about local resources and promote their services. This mission resonated with other professionals as well so the group evolved over the years into a thriving community of over 400 local providers of all types. Today, Sana Network strives to connect healthcare providers across the US to each other, to clients and to resources.

“We can accomplish more working together, sharing resources and learning from each other.”

Yoendry Torres, Psy.D., Psychologist, Founder

Here are 3 free key features of Sana Network membership that will help you promote your practice:

• Provider Listservs: Get referrals, learn about local resources and promote your services via our provider email group listservs in cities across the US. Simply send an email that is sent to all members of the group listserv.
• Promote & Sale Events: Create community events and get RSVPs or sell tickets to your workshops, groups, or other programs via our online calendar of events.
• Online Directory: Get listed on our public directory where potential clients and referral-seeking providers can find and contact you.

Just like Doxy.me, SanaNetwork.com strives to provide a simple, accessible and free solution. Many providers use telemedicine already as a way of providing services to people in rural areas or for established clients who relocate to other cities. However, did you know that you can also use telemedicine to consult with other providers? Doxy.me is a safe and secure telemedicine solution that allows providers to coordinate and collaborate on shared cases as well as provider direct services to clients.

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Mark Heyman is a diabetes psychologist, person with type 1 diabetes, and Founder and Director of the Center for Diabetes and Mental Health. Here is his story with telemedicine.

A couple years ago,  I had a patient who lives about an hour from my office ask if we could  do our sessions over video. With traffic, coming to see me in my office would take almost half a day and even though he really needed help, he  just couldn’t make it into my office on a regular basis. Since he has  diabetes, and my practice focuses exclusively on the mental health needs  of people with diabetes, he didn’t feel like he had anywhere else to  turn. I’ll be honest, I was pretty skeptical about seeing a patient online. I had never done anything like that before and I had no idea what to expect. But my goal has always been to expand mental health treatment for people with diabetes and this was one tangible way to do  it.

Now I see patients online every week and I am a big believer that tele-mental health treatment can help meet many of the mental health needs of people with diabetes. When I first started, I was  worried that doing therapy online would be awkward. I’ll be honest, with each new patient it usually is awkward…. for about 2 minutes – and the  people I see online tell me they have the same experience. After a  couple minutes of getting used to it, talking over video becomes normal,  and it feels no different than an in-person session.

I’ve actually seen  a lot of people over video that I’ve never met in person, and I’m  confident that their outcomes have been just as good, and sometimes  better, than the people I see in person.

My goal is to make  diabetes related mental health services available to as many people as  possible no matter where they live and I’ve found that tele-mental health is an ideal way to expand my reach to areas where these specialized services aren’t available.

Tele-mental health is not without  challenges. One of the most common symptoms for anyone dealing with mental health challenges, diabetes-related or not, is avoidance. And avoidance rears its head in a lot of different ways like not showing up  to appointments, avoiding certain topics or not talking at all.  Avoidance is difficult to work with when someone is in the room with you  and it’s even more challenging when working with someone over video. In  fact, seeing a therapist over video can be an avoidance strategy – you  can tell yourself you’re checking the box of getting treatment while  using video as a way to avoid the hard work that therapy requires. These  challenges tend to be amplified when the patient and therapist aren’t  sitting in the same room.

Tele-mental  health has been a great way for me to increase access to specialized services to people who really need them and I’m always looking for ways  to keep expanding. In the near future, I plan on offering group therapy  online. If you are interested in talking more about diabetes-specific  tele-mental health for yourself or someone you know, please  send me an email (mark@cdmh.org) or connect on Twitter.

Sign up for a free account at Doxy.me and start practicing telemedicine today!

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American Psychological Association had a panel of experts review three telehealth platforms: Doxy.me, thera-LINK and Zoom. Doxy.me came out on top with the best rating.

“Doxy.me is easy to use and provides a seamless, HIPAA compliant  telehealth experience for both the psychologist and the client. I would  recommend the premium version of Doxy.me to psychologists who want an  intuitive, high-resolution telehealth platform. I particularly enjoy the  customization feature that the premium version provides, because it  helps the client feel secure knowing they are in the appropriate waiting  room with the practice logos and other identifying information. I rate  the free version as a 4 out of 5: The customer service would be more  effective if they offered support either by telephone or by chat. I  appreciate the peace of mind that comes with knowing that if problems  arise, there is immediate support with the premium version, especially  given the sensitivity of our work.” —Kristi K. Phillips, PsyD

“I have been using Doxy.me for the past three years and would definitely  recommend it to other practitioners. Doxy is easy to use, especially  from the client perspective. Doxy provides the best value for the money  as it is free and offers a free BAA. It provides security and  data-encryption for all users. I love that Doxy’s mission is to make  telehealth available to everyone!” — Charmain F. Jackman, PhD

Click here to read the full review. Sign up for a free account and start practicing telemedicine today!

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Starting January 1, 2020, the following three codes (describing new  bundled services for treatment of opioid use disorders) will be  available as part of the covered Medicare telehealth services list:

HCPCS code G2086: Office-based  treatment for opioid use disorder, including development of the  treatment plan, care coordination, individual therapy and group therapy  and counseling; at least 70 minutes in the first calendar month.

HCPCS code G2087: Office-based  treatment for opioid use disorder, including care coordination,  individual therapy and group therapy and counseling; at least 60 minutes  in a subsequent calendar month.

HCPCS code G2088: Office-based  treatment for opioid use disorder, including care coordination,  individual therapy and group therapy and counseling; each additional 30  minutes beyond the first 120 minutes (List separately in addition to  code for primary procedure).

Read the rest of the article here. Sign up for a free account at doxy.me.

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While it may not be able to solve all problems facing an overburdened healthcare system, it is certainly a step forward in addressing non-emergency injuries and illnesses. In this article, we will explore some of the benefits to telemedicine, and ways it is improving healthcare today.

What Is Telemedicine?

Telemedicine connects health-care providers and patients to deliver real-time services over telecommunication platforms. Video conferencing, text messages or audio communication can be used, allowing for long-distance clinical care and patient contact. As a result, remote consultations can be set up at any time from any location.

Services such as standard clinical care, patient education, professional consultation or supervision, and more, can be arranged. To date, it has been improving service delivery whereby patients can conveniently consult with a healthcare professional on more minor issues without having to leave their home.

How is Telemedicine Transforming Healthcare?

This innovative approach to healthcare provides all kinds of advantages, including:

Healthcare Consultation 24/7

Telemedicine allows for 24/7 access to healthcare professionals whenever you may need them. Instead of having to wait for working hours, or being forced to visit an emergency room unnecessarily, you can now consult with one from your home at absolutely any time.

During a virtual consultation, you can address any non-emergency conditions with the professional on the other end. This means that you can get the care you need when you need it.

Other factors here include travel time, reliable transportation, and a lack of reliable medical care in the area around you. If you live somewhere remote, then having instant telemedicine access is a major advantage.

Access to Doctors

One of the main advantages of using telemedicine is how much easier it is to see a doctor. With doctor shortages being a reality worldwide, it can take ages to see a primary care physician. Depending on your location, this can sometimes take days to happen – a waiting period that is constantly growing.

As many people do not have a regular doctor, their first visit to see a primary care physician becomes delayed even further. Telemedicine breaks this waiting period, allowing you to access a doctor when you need them. You can set up a virtual appointment at any time, something that will make tending to your non-emergency condition a whole lot easier.

Faster Access to Specialty Care

Aside from providing better access to primary care physicians, telemedicine also makes it easier to access specialty care.

Many professionals outside of traditional medicine partake in telemedicine, including psychologists, oncologists, dieticians, and prenatal specialists, among others. The convenience of this is paramount, and currently, most US hospitals will actually connect with patients through telemedicine platforms. Furthermore, most medical aid programs do cover the costs of these services.

Lower Healthcare Costs

Utilizing telemedicine, you can avoid incurring unnecessary medical costs. Whether it is visiting the emergency room when you are unsure if you need to, or making an appointment with an expensive doctor, medical expenses can be incredibly high. By taking a more informed approach to consulting medical experts in person, you can limit these types of visits to only the times when you really need to.

The pressure isn’t only the patients receiving the healthcare either, as medical facilities feel financial strain taking on hospital admissions. Reducing overnight stays and admissions is therefore beneficial to both parties, provided the means to receive reliable healthcare through telemedicine remains present.

In any case, consulting with a professional via telecommunication beforehand means you can get advice as to whether elevated care is needed, thereby keeping costs in check.

Better Patient Monitoring

Many people may worry that using telemedicine restricts the kind of monitoring capabilities that doctors have. This is not the case at all. In fact, new technological advances have made it easy to properly monitor patient data from anywhere. This kind of remote monitoring makes it easier to get results from your doctors, who can then tell you what kind of treatment plan is required.

Improved Health Outcomes

Being able to access a doctor faster and around the clock brings a number of benefits. Early intervention regarding a condition means that patients won’t just sit around growing sicker while they wait to see a medical professional. The convenience factor of telemedicine allows diagnosis and a treatment plan to be put into effect much sooner.

Not only does this help to handle the medical condition straight away, but it also helps to reduce costs once again. By addressing the health issue early on, you can eliminate increased treatment costs that might be necessary further down the line.

Better Patient Engagement

Telemedicine is not there to replace traditional healthcare. Instead, it is here to improve it. Because you can get access to your health care professional from any location, this gives you the opportunity to build a relationship with the person.

When it comes to your medical history, this plays in your favor as it means one person knows and has access to your background without having to extensively consult medical records or other professionals you have seen in the past for more context.

Telemedicine breaks down the wall that restricts many people from accessing quality healthcare. You get to engage with professionals whenever an issue arises, allowing you to receive faster results and keep better track of your health.

Telemedicine is an innovative approach to healthcare that has helped to transform the way people access doctors and seek medical attention. Alongside traditional healthcare routines, it can provide significant benefits.

Using the approach, patients can consult with a doctor faster, at any time, and from any place. They get real-time medical assistance, allowing them to make an informed decision on treatment options. Besides the massive convenience of this, it can save money and improve relationships with healthcare professionals.

Sign up for a free account at doxy.me and start practicing telemedicine today!

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Software Pundit recently published an article about the lack of mental health services for Hispanic Americans. According to Software Pundit, Hispanics face a growing mental health care crisis. Less than 6% of U.S. psychologists can provide services in Spanish even though 18% of Americans are Hispanic. Online therapy may help close the gap because therapists don’t have to be in the same location as their clients.

Sarah Serrano, a bilingual licensed clinical social worker in South Florida, conducts 100% of her practice’s sessions through teletherapy, and about 65% of those are conducted in Spanish. Sarah did six months of personal research into the effectiveness of teletherapy before getting started. “I have had success with teletherapy. I am helping people and they feel like they’ve been helped. The interventions and outcomes are the same,” she says.

SoftwarePundit recommends Doxy.me for therapists looking to expand into telemedicine who cannot do this through their current practice management systems. Doxy.me currently has over 60,000 health care professionals using the platform to provide over 1 million telemedicine minutes per week.

Therapists who work with Hispanic clients should also consider whether the platform supports Spanish-language content. Sarah agrees. “What is missing in many of the solutions is the client portal being in Spanish. We have to make it possible for the patients to navigate the tools in their primary language. I’m happy that Doxy.me allows me to offer my Spanish speaking clients a portal in their native language,” she states.

You can read the article here. Sign up for a free account at doxy.me and start practicing telemedicine today!

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