It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of new technology that is out there in the medical field. With so much available, it can seem like you might be adopting new tools that overcomplicate things: including insurance and billing for patients. However, telehealth is no doubt going to be something that medical practitioners have to adopt for the future and that you should be aware of if you are having a practice within the next few years.
Here’s why you should pay attention to the development of the telehealth trend and how it might affect your practice.
The basics are the same
While these changes might seem foreign to you, physical therapy telehealth can actually be extremely beneficial to your practice and can allow you to reach a whole new set of customers that you might have been able to before. Not all patients can safely leave their homes, but they do need to continue exercises in order to get better and to be able to check in with a therapist for help. The basics of your practice are the same, and you might even be able to help your patients more by having a simpler system to answer questions.
Consider your processes
While the basic concept of telehealth is the same as a traditional medicine, you will need to look into how your processes work and how it works with your patients. Consider how they are able to contact you and how you will be able to write prescriptions. How will your patients be able to check in and schedule another visit with you? These are all things to consider when you are planning on switching to a telehealth-friendly platform.
Know how to deal with tech issues
Having your site down can end up not only discouraging your patients, but it can also cause you to lost valuable information. If you are planning on setting up a telehealth platform, then you need to have someone available to help you through any troubleshooting. Any tech problems you have should be cleared up as soon as possible, so whether you choose to have a remote team or one one in-house, you can get things fixed up as soon as possible.
Rethink cancellations and payments
It’s easy to have cancellation and payment systems figured out when you can chat with patients in person. However, when you are performing telehealth services, then you might need to think about how these can be done online. Make sure all the policies you have in place for cancellations and payments still apply with your telehealth system or if they need to be revised.
In summary
More and more physical therapy practices are moving to online systems where they can help patients from home. If you are planning on doing the same, then you need to make sure that your practice is set up to handle the technical, practical, and trends so you can be successful.