The Hybrid Office
Dr. Jessica Wu
Residen
During the pandemic, remote healthcare, or telehealth, became a necessity. Now that many patients expect telehealth services, offering a hybrid of both in-person visits and telehealth may help build patient loyalty while providing you with greater flexibility and control over your own schedule.
One way to build a successful hybrid practice is for physicians to only pay for office time they use: they can offer telehealth appointments from home, saving in-person visits for patients who truly need to be examined in the office. Overhead costs can be significantly reduced, while still allowing physicians to provide excellent care. This is substantially more affordable compared to traditional office leasing, which locks you into long-term payments regardless of how much time you actually spend in the office.
How popular is telehealth?
Over 75 percent of Americans say the pandemic made them want to try remote medical care, and 76 percent of U.S. hospitals use telehealth today.
What are benefits for providers?
· Fewer overhead costs.
· Additional revenue, outside of regular office hours.
· Greater flexibility
· Increased patient satisfaction due to greater convenience.
What are considerations to telehealth?
· Technology service interruptions must be minimized (choose your carrier wisely)
· Some states require in-person visits to prescribe medicine.
· Some patients may prefer or require in-person visits
· Some provider liability insurance policies may not cover telehealth services.
How do providers get paid for appointments?
Most private insurance companies embrace telehealth services. Regulations vary by state, but most states mandate similar payment for telehealth as in-person appointments. In general, telehealth doctors are paid per appointment. Medicare and Medicaid also reimburse, but doctors must become familiar with specific regulations.
What should doctors know about privacy and security?
Telehealth platforms are encrypted and align with regulatory standards, so sharing information should be private and secure. (Of course, nothing is completely safe from hackers or data breaches.) Providers must know the federal laws and their own state laws regarding privacy and security for medical information transmitted electronically.
