In 2019, Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico, started looking at telehealth options to provide its patients with an on-demand virtual care service with a focus on urgent care-type needs.

THE PROBLEM

In early 2020, when the pandemic changed the medical center's in-person workflows overnight, the facility needed a quick and easy-to-use telehealth solution that allowed staff to continue to see established patients during lockdowns.

"It's no secret the pandemic created new challenges for the healthcare industry, and our providers altered their day-to-day routines to fit COVID-19 requirements," said Jennifer Gruger, telehealth project manager at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center. "With new guidance and workflows in place, Gerald Champion needed a user-friendly telehealth platform that seamlessly synced with our EHR, athenaOne.

"In order to provide ongoing care for our patients, we also wanted to encourage telehealth adoption by providing our clinicians with a dedicated platform versus external options such as those native to their smartphone or tablet," she explained. "Additionally, patient privacy is of the utmost importance to Gerald Champion, so we knew our team needed a HIPAA-compliant solution for our providers and patient population."

PROPOSAL

When athenahealth launched athenaTelehealth, its goal was to deliver an intuitive and HIPAA-compliant care experience for both patients and providers, all from the athenaOne EHR workflow. Gerald Champion opted to go with the telehealth technology of its EHR vendor.

"Our providers were a bit reticent at first, but, because the platform is easy to use, the adoption was speedy after the onboarding process."

Jennifer Gruger, Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center

Before implementing the new platform, Gerald Champion staff were most excited about three core athenaTelehealth features:

• Easy access. Patients can access a telehealth encounter with any computer or mobile device that has a modern web browser and an integrated camera. This ease of use was one of the main elements staff members wanted in their telehealth solution, for both patients and providers, Gruger said.
• Support focus on the patient. The telehealth system allows for simultaneous call and documentation capabilities, which gives providers the opportunity to be more engaged with their patients during encounters, she noted.
• The ability to host multiple people in the same visit. This allows parents, caregivers and additional care team members to join any telehealth visit, so that all vested parties can participate in the encounter.

MARKETPLACE

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MEETING THE CHALLENGE

"We were relieved to have access to a product that was in a HIPAA-compliant environment; athenaTelehealth was secure for the patient, which was an incredibly important challenge we were trying to meet," Gruger explained.

"The system is used by our team of providers and schedulers," she continued. "Our providers were a bit reticent at first, but, because the platform is easy to use, the adoption was speedy after the onboarding process. We've found the system provides us with the unique opportunity to connect to each patient directly from within the EHR."

This integration has led to a more efficient experience on the practice side, and patients are excited about the ease of use, where they simply receive a link and tap to enter the virtual waiting room, she added.

RESULTS

Gerald Champion has been able to increase its telehealth utilization from zero to 80% of visits during the pandemic.

"What I do know, anecdotally, is that providers feel like the telehealth visit is more efficient," Gruger observed. "Even with intake – our workflow does include the medical assistant doing the intake portion – the visit itself is more efficient, according to our providers.

"We've also seen great feedback from our patient population," she added. "I've had patients who initially say, 'There's no way, I can't do that. I don't even know how to use my smartphone,' who now don't want to see their provider any other way."

Additionally, the senior patients have adapted well to the telehealth experience. While all organizations might have populations that are not interested in telehealth, Gerald Champion has found that a solid workflow and a good pre-visit interview sets patients and providers up for success. It has found that most patients who have tried telemedicine want to continue to use it, she said.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

"Before decision-makers jump on sales calls to learn more about different platforms, it's important to establish what you and your team really want out of a telehealth solution," Gruger advised. 

"Any organization that's considering a telehealth platform should go back to their stakeholders – providers, schedulers and patients – and ask what they want their telehealth to look and feel like, and what's important to them. Based on stakeholder responses, organizations should find a product that aligns with specific needs and requirements."

Telehealth solutions also should be easy and secure, as these are two common pain points that will regularly come up, she added.

"Workflow is also another important consideration. It's important to determine that the entire process works really well from beginning to end," she concluded. "Ask yourself and team members if the process is easy to use and intuitive to follow."

Twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT
Email the writer: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.