Tuba City Regional Health Care Telehealth
Telemedicine services provided by TCRHCC
Manage medications
Adjusting medications for things like depression & anxiety, blood pressure, and birth control–or simply refilling prescriptions–aren’t reason enough to bring busy patients into the office. Instead, OB/GYNs can offer to manage any non-scheduled medications remotely.
Provide postoperative care
In order to ensure patient safety and provide the highest quality of care, OB/GYNs must provide high-touch postoperative care. Especially for women who have undergone a serious procedure like a C-section, scheduling remote appointments allows doctors to provide that level of care without placing a physical burden on the patient.
Discuss lab results
Discussing sensitive material like STD-screening results, PAP smears, and biopsies, face-to-face conversation should always be prioritized. Telemedicine helps OB/GYNs provide that level of care at no inconvenience to the patient.
Observe treatment plans
Especially for conditions like gestational diabetes and postpartum depression that require frequent monitoring, remote video appointments are ideal. They allow you to keep close tabs on patient progress, and you still get fully reimbursed for services rendered.
The benefits of telemedicine for your patients
Easy access to care drives engagement
Frequent missed appointments and failure to adhere to treatment plans are among a few things that hurt the long-term health of patients. By making access to care less of a burden, patients become more engaged in their treatment plans. This has long-term benefits for patients, their families, and the healthcare system as a whole.
Staying out of the waiting room
Even if you have a modern office equipped with televisions and trendy magazines, busy parents and business professionals still prefer to avoid waiting rooms. They’ll appreciate the option to take the appointment from their home or office.
No messing with traffic or parking
For parents and busy professionals, the hassle of battling traffic and finding parking is a huge barrier to seeing the doctor. Remote appointments make accessing care easy, giving them one less thing to worry about.
Can I be reimbursed by private payers for telemedicine visits?
Telemedicine reimbursement mandates for private payers are determined by state legislation. If you practice in one of the 26 states with a parity law, you’ll be reimbursed in a similar manner to in-person visits (check out our private payer reimbursement page for more info).
Is telemedicine HIPAA-compliant?
Yes, but only if you are using a fully encrypted platform and have a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) signed with your vendor. See the following section to further guide your telemedicine software buying process.
I have a lot of older patients, will they able to use the technology?
We’ve found that even older patients are able to use the technology without much trouble. Now that a lot of older folks are using Facebook and Skype to communicate with their grandchildren, the technology barrier is quickly fading! However, it is ultimately up to the discretion of the provider to determine which patients telehealth is appropriate for.
Will my patients feel they’re receiving the same quality of care via telemedicine as they do in-person?
Our patient satisfaction survey has found that 95% of patients who are seen through remote video by their PCPs feel they receive the same quality of care as they do during in-person visits.
I hear both the terms “telemedicine” and “telehealth” being used. Is there a difference?
There is no real difference – the terms are interchangeable. As a Primary Care Provider offering remote care, either term is fine to use when discussing this solution with your patients.
