The new buzz is “the new norm” , well what does it mean to you and your patients? Perhaps what it means to you may not be the same for your patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely tested not only our resilience, but also the new way we look at the world. This may not be easy for many of patients, who live day by day with chronic health conditions, social determinants of health challenges, and cultural and linguistic batters to access timely health care services. The medical workforce is faced with new challenges, racing to the new technology, adapting to changes overnight, and staying afloat. The new era of telemedicine and how we can prepare ourselves to be the most efficient as possible, and to learn to work smart and not hard. Paving the way for our patients so their telehealth experience can be gratifying and welcoming. Here are some suggestions, that you may adopt as you see them fit for your practice.

Communicating with your staff·

• Provider’s schedule, what is the availability for telehealth and in-person visits
• Offer options to patients for a telehealth or in-person visit, based on patient’s needs
• Have daily huddles to review the schedule and high priority patients
• Decide with your care team who will greed the patient into the virtual waiting area

Prior to the Visit (This can be performed by the MA or another designated staff):·

• Review patient chart for any outstanding health screenings and/or referrals
• Call patient to confirm telehealth appointment and walk patient through the process that you have developed
• Make sure that the patient’s equipment is working
• Confirm patient identify (D.O.B and full name, etc.)
• Complete any pre-registration paperwork

During the Visit:

• MA calls patients and get him/her ready for the doctor
• Make sure that the patient’s equipment is working properly
• MA takes any self-reported vital signs or review s home monitoring data
• Identify yourself (provider) to patient
• Confirm the patient’s identity
• Obtain verbal consent for telehealth visit and document it in the chart
• Keep the visit as much like an in-person visit as possible

After each visit

• Consider sending to patient a telehealth visit satisfaction survey

Some types of care can be performed using telehealth:

• General health care, like wellness visits
• Prescriptions for medicine
• Dermatology (skin care)
• Eye exams
• Nutrition counseling
• Mental Health counseling
• Urgent care conditions, such as sinusitis, back pain, urinary tract infections, common rashes, etc.

Resources:

• Telehealth https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/MedicareGeneral-Information/Telehealth
• Medicare Coverage and Payment of Virtual Services (video) — from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Telehealth Services (PDF) — from the Centers for Medicare-Medicaid Serv. Medicare Learning Network
• List of Telehealth Services (covered for COVID-19) — from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Current State Laws & Reimbursement Policies — Center for Connected Health Policy
• COVID-19 Telehealth Coverage Policies — from the Center for Connected Health Policy
• COVID-19 Related State Actions — from the Center for Connected Health Policy
• Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet — from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing (PDF) — from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services