Congress has ensured that flexibilities for telehealth will continue for two more years, as many private practice physicians have taken advantage of its uses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The American Medical Association suggested three major areas where private practice physicians can improve their telehealth processes for themselves and their patients:
1. Pick a virtual care platform. Research vendors and assess how they might work for the practice. Before deciding, talk to colleagues and get feedback as well as ask vendors for case studies and referrals and have patients and care team members test products and options.
2. Design virtual-ready workflows. Telehealth has several moving pieces in terms of workflow, including scheduling, patient check-in, virtual rooming tasks and billing. Get input on workflows from the care team, document workflows, develop protocols and set up appropriate space in the clinic to conduct virtual appointments.
3. Engage with patients. Do not let telehealth take away the human interaction between patients and physicians. Know the patient as a human, provide them with ease and engage them in the manner they want to be engaged.