Engaging Patients With Telemedicine

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"]People who are actively involved in their healthcare, studies have shown, tend to have improved results and decreased costs. This phenomena has led healthcare providers scrambling to improve patient engagement. Telemedicine is increasingly seen as a vital tool in this regard and more than half of U.S. hospitals employ telemedicine in some manner. A recent article put out by Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN) states that there are four reasons health care executives should consider telemedicine to increase patient engagement.The first reason is “better access to care in federally designated underserved areas.” With approximately 15,000 Healthcare Professional Shortage Areas providers can increase engagement by providing better access to health services. Considering eighty million people live in areas that are underserved by mental health providers, executives would be wise to find ways to incorporate telemedicine to serve those potential patients.The second is “reduced costs through care delivery in lower-acuity settings.” This is illustrated through an example of a patient who has both a movement disorder and a mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression. If the mental health issue is left untreated due to reduced ability to travel then it can affect the outcome of the treatment for the movement disorder. Being able to deliver low-acuity care in a cost efficient manner will incentivize patients to be more engaged in their care.The third reason to consider adopting telemedicine is “greater convenience within competitive markets.” For people whose schedules are too full to attend preventative, follow-up or routine checkups telemedicine can be a huge time saver and result in significantly improved results and lower readmission rates.Lastly “warmer handoffs between providers for care transitions, as well as better access to specialists.” With various providers being able to use telemedicine to introduce specialists and the patients who are being advised to go see them, patients are receiving much warmer transitions than a simple business card can provide. These more personal handoffs improve patient satisfaction and lower the chance of readmission. Lastly, specialists who are located far from the primary doctor can consult during their off hours.Telemedicine, while booming, is still in its early stages. With support and reimbursement growing we are sure to see ever increasing levels of patient engagement. If you’re a Medical or Mental Health professional interested in seeing patients online click below on the "want patients" button to and fill out the form.  OR if you are an organization that has patients that want to be seen via Telemed click on the "Have Patients" button and a representative will get in contact shortly![/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label="Row"][et_pb_column type="1_2"][et_pb_cta admin_label="Call To Action" title="Want to See Patients Online?" button_url="https://encoretelemedicine.net/provider-info" url_new_window="off" button_text="Click Here" use_background_color="off" background_color="#7EBEC5" background_layout="light" text_orientation="center" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" custom_button="off" button_letter_spacing="0" button_use_icon="default" button_icon_placement="right" button_on_hover="on" button_letter_spacing_hover="0"] [/et_pb_cta][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_2"][et_pb_cta admin_label="Call To Action" title="Need Providers to see patients online?" button_url="https://encoretelemedicine.net/need-coverage" url_new_window="off" button_text="Click Here" use_background_color="off" background_color="#7EBEC5" background_layout="light" text_orientation="center" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" custom_button="off" button_letter_spacing="0" button_use_icon="default" button_icon_placement="right" button_on_hover="on" button_letter_spacing_hover="0"] [/et_pb_cta][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]