Expanding your services to include telehealth may seem like a challenging endeavor, but this new provision and management of medical care provides a sound solution to improving the rural communities’ access to quality healthcare.

Using telehealth in rural areas can help reduce the difficulties patients usually encounter, such as distance, travel time, and transportation issues. Telehealth can also make the healthcare system more efficient by improving communication, monitoring, and timeliness.

With more than 100+ years of combined experience, Coronis Health is a healthcare revenue cycle management company with global capabilities offering specialized solutions. By using industry-leading technology combined with high-touch relationship building, we can help you with the complicated coding and billing associated with telehealth, especially for Medicare, helping you focus on your patients while maintaining financial independence and cultivating financial success. 

Telehealth Services on the Rise

According to a report released by Frost & Sullivan, U.S. demand for telehealth will soar by 64.3% in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report predicts that the demand for telehealth in the U.S. will grow seven-fold by 2025, for a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.2%. This study suggests that telehealth may become the new normal for many medical providers as the pandemic continues to reshape the healthcare landscape, bringing more opportunities for virtual care in the near-term future.

Physicians across the country must constantly adapt to new ways they can best serve their patients. According to ncbi.gov, telehealth will be proven useful not only to care for infected (COVID) patients, whether at home or at the hospital, but also for patients with other diseases to prevent their exposure. So, whether we have a public health emergency or not, one thing that will never change is the need to deliver timely and quality care to all Americans. Therefore, if you are in a position to serve, integrating telehealth into your practice can be a golden opportunity for you and your patients. To help you get started or to help improve your current telehealth system, we’re providing a guide that explains the best practices to create a telehealth business model to reach rural patients. This way, they can access healthcare in a manner that is convenient and cost-effective, allowing your practice to improve on patient care.

1. Understand Patient Needs

There are factors to consider before implementing your telehealth business model. One, you must first assess how many rural patients you have, and two, you must understand what their needs are. Also consider the best ways to communicate with your patients, especially since your target demographic consists of diverse individuals. While most people will own smartphones, not everyone is comfortable communicating via video chat. Some might prefer an audio call.

2. Select the Right Tech 

Because telehealth services rely solely on electronic information, you will only benefit from the platform if you choose the right technology to deliver your services. Telehealth services technology can include streaming media, video conferencing, wired and wireless communication, and telephony, and choosing your technology will depend on your goals and the specific telehealth services you will be delivering. Do you want to accommodate more patients efficiently? Do you want to boost your practice’s revenue? Does your specialization require performing visual examinations? These are just some of the factors to consider when choosing your technology.

But regardless of your goals and the type of telehealth services you’ll be delivering, there are fundamental features that any communications platform should have. Specifically, your chosen technology must:

• Enable a clear flow of communication between physicians and patients
• Allow for omnichannel access (this will enable patients to text, email, call, or video chat with their physician)
• Allow for seamless collaboration with the patient’s team of healthcare providers
• Be secure
• Be flexible and scalable in order to accommodate your workflow as well as your patients’ chosen method of communication
• Be cost-effective (short-term and long-term)

3. Promote Your New Telehealth Opportunity

No matter how efficient your telehealth business model is, it won’t matter if no one knows about it. Be sure to get the word out about your new platform. Promote your telehealth care through your website, social media, newsletters, and fliers so your patients can be informed of your new services.

4. Measure Your Success

Offering telehealth services is just half the battle. Evaluating your telehealth services is another crucial element of your success. What comprises its evaluation?

• Establish benchmarks for quantitative research (e.g., how many people are using your telehealth services and what is their satisfaction level in availing those services) 
• Measure those benchmarks either through surveys or through tracking
• Evaluation should be a constant process, so set a schedule for it (once every six months or once a year)

How Coronis Can Help

Offering telehealth services can help you serve rural communities in a way that is convenient and cost-effective, while still growing your revenue. To help you navigate through this new concept, you’ll need the assistance of a partner who can lighten your load and let your practice focus more on patient care. At Coronis Health, we remain at the forefront of medical services and billing for our niche clients, including rural community facilities. We are technological innovators and are fully integrated with the latest software, so we input coding instantly and execute collections fast and efficiently. And because of our full transparency, you’ll know exactly how your numbers look and how they’re affecting your business. We also believe in personalized service that exceeds what most big box companies offer. No customer is the same, so we don’t treat all customers the same. As you build your telehealth services platform, we will anticipate your needs and focus on your success. 

Schedule an Assessment With Coronis Health

Telehealth services can give you a competitive advantage over other healthcare providers. By choosing the right healthcare communications platform and having an efficient billing and coding system, you can make it easy for your practice to offer telehealth services to your patients in a way that is simple, secure, and effective. To learn more, contact Coronis Health to schedule a consultation or request a free financial checkup.