The rise in telehealth solutions, beyond the pandemic, illustrates the value of this innovative healthcare tool. Access to medications and appointments through applications is cost-effective and efficient for providers and patients. A recent article published in KevinMD takes this further and discusses the way forward for telehealth in our current environment. But choosing the right solution can be intimidating. There are many things to consider when practicing telemedicine and choosing the best path for individual needs can be overwhelming.
Commitment time
Some telehealth solutions require providers to commit to a certain number of hours per week. Others offer schedules within part-time and full-time employment for that particular telehealth company. Either way, a commitment from the provider is usually expected.
However, there are some that don’t require any commitment, at all. Solve.Care’s Global Telehealth Exchange (GTHE), for example, has no set requirement for time or number of patient visits conducted. Healthcare providers can set their schedule any way they choose. There is no monthly or annual commitment to practice through GTHE and its free to register.
The ideal revenue model
Many solutions have a preset hourly or flat rate payment scale that typically remains the same and rarely fluctuates. Also, there is no fee flexibility.
GTHE allows the provider to set their own rate, no matter who or where the services are provided. This means that if a healthcare provider wants to offer pro bono hours or charity work, they can. And they can do so without worry.
Licensing and territory
Some solutions provide a database with their patients that are within certain territories. They don’t typically allow adding more patients unless the patient is approved through their sign-up process. They dictate whom the provider can treat depending on their operating and regulated location.
With GTHE, the provider can bring their existing patients or add new ones, from anywhere in the world. The exchange and its intelligent infrastructure will automatically match the patient to every available doctor in compliance with applicable laws; allowing providers free global access to patients.
The best solution type
There are many ways to implement a telehealth solution into an existing or new practice. Some provide hardware that must be professionally installed and can take quite a long time from scheduling the set up to actually practicing telemedicine. There are some solutions that can install software, but they are both costly and take time to implement and train users.
GTHE offers a secure web-based Provider Wallet and a free downloadable application available for patients. The best part is, GTHE is simple to use and requires no technical knowledge to install or operate.
How much to invest
For the most part, telehealth solutions will cost in the way of an annual or monthly fee along with formal and legally binding commitments.
But with GTHE, registration is free and requires no monthly or annual fees. A small percentage of deducted from the rates charged for each visit. The rates charged for each visit is set by the provider. There are no financial or time commitments to use GTHE and no one governing how much should be charged per visit. There is no small print or catch. The provider can actually cut costs by up to 60% by practicing telemedicine using GTHE.
Freedom to add new or existing patients
Telehealth solutions require providers to use their predefined database of patients. Adding new or existing patients may be challenging due to the solution’s regulatory guidelines.
GTHE offers access to global patients and an easy existing patient invitation process. Providers simply invite their patients via email to download the free Care.Wallet app onto their smartphone. And that’s it. They are connected to book appointments, instantly pay for treatments, and much more.
Data Security
Data security is a major concern for many and by nature, telehealth presents plenty of security questions. Most telehealth solutions keep records stored on one centralized database leaving an opportunity for hacks.
Contrary to most, GTHE is a decentralized data solution, HIPAA compliant and built on blockchain; offering the most secure way to control and share medical records as well as sending and receiving payments. To learn more, read our article on data security and how GTHE overcomes this issue.
Time it takes to start practicing telemedicine
To offer healthcare services through any telehealth solution, a verification process is necessary. This can take anywhere from 2 weeks to several months; mostly due to inefficient processes.
There is no way around credentialling but GTHE simplifies the procedure altogether. The gathering of documents and paperwork is a thing of the past. As soon as the sign-up form is submitted an email is sent asking for some details in reference to the licenses and certifications. There is nothing else to do. It’s fairly quick and GTHE can be used to practice telemedicine in as little as 2 weeks.
Reimbursements and paperwork
Collecting payments from insurance or other third-party payers can be very stressful. On top of this, there is added stress of all the paperwork that is needed to collect for those treatments. And more often than not, providers only receive a portion of the expected amount as well as the months it can take to process.
GTHE provides the ability to receive secure instant payments for treatments, with no paperwork. As soon as the teleconsultation has ended, the payment is automatically taken from the patient and deposited to the provider. The administration part of this process is virtually none. Instant payments and no admin allow for greater quality of care, overall. As providers spend 49% of their time on paperwork, GTHE allows more time to treat more patients.
Telehealth solutions offer many benefits, but none offer a combination of all the benefits in one solution. GTHE puts the joy back into practicing medicine; creating greater access to healthcare by connecting patients to providers, in a very global way.
If you’ve decided to cut overall costs by up to 60% and practice medicine on your own terms, visit our sign-up page to get started now.
