The digital era has come with loads of convenience we never experienced before. Today, modern technology is able to bring patients and physicians together in spite of their geographic distance. Health care is one such area where you can now access care online and over the telephone from wherever you are.
However, getting started on telemedicine in Singapore and figuring out how to incorporate it into your practice can be challenging, but the benefits are surely worth the effort. You need to understand the key elements to consider when getting started on telemedicine. These are:
Standards Of Care
For you to determine which health care service in Singapore is the most appropriate for your needs, it’s essential to consider the IT infrastructure of the provider, complexity of information that’s communicated, privacy, restrictions, and worker’s experience. Also, your healthcare provider should have the capacity to call you in for in-office care if your situation requires you to do so. For example, it might be difficult to evaluate a patient’s stomach pain without palpating their abdomen, so an inpatient visit might be the most appropriate.
However, a follow-up review and discussion of your imaging and lab results can be done in telemedicine appointments. Providers such as https://osler-health.com/ have become sophisticated, and with the right tools, even complex exams can be performed from afar. What used to be seen as incompatible with telehealth can now be done, meeting the standards of care and taking advantage of the benefits telemedicine has to offer.
Patient privacy
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Physicians getting started on telemedicine consultation use the technology they have in place for their remote clients. Today, many of us video chat with family and friends, and there’s no reason you can see your doctor the same way!
However, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires telemedicine providers to have a Business Associate Agreement BAA to see patients remotely. Not so many teleconferencing and video chat platforms allow you to have BAA. If you want a platform that works best for you, avoid the fee version. Free versions often have the same features as the paid ones but do not allow you to obtain BAA. Just avoid them! The potential consequences of violating HIPAA regulations is just too high!
EHR Integration
Good telemedicine should offer a smooth experience between providers and their patients. As a patient, you should be able to easily schedule appointments and receive back documents or feedback provided during the visit. If a platform is not easy to navigate, it opens doors to patients’ burnout, and they may end up switching between platforms and viewing information instead of focusing on patient care.
Many EHR platforms have the ability to provide and integrate with telehealth providers. However, even the most important concern is how they handle their medical billing. The system should be able to auto claim funds when patients need services and have additional functions such as batch rebilling and denial management.
Collaborative Care and Licensing
It’s important that you work with a provider who’s licensed to work in your area. That means they have met the set rules and regulations, and their services can be trusted. It’s also an added advantage if they collaborate with different health care specialists, social workers, therapists, etc., because this can ensure the best outcome for a patient with a complex case.
