Tag: Secure Telehealth

Rural Health Update from the Virginia Rural health Association

Rural Health Update from the Virginia Rural health Association

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I had a great day this past Wednesday at the Virginia Rural Health Collaborators Conference in Lexington, VA.  Lexington is a beautiful Historic town that is the location of Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute.  Just outside of town is the Virginia Horse Center, an amazing facility that includes the Andersen Coliseum where we met for the day.

The day began with State Senator R. Creigh Deeds from that area of Virginia giving a keynote presentation.  Senator Deeds is committed to the rural areas of Virginia and helping them grow and thrive.  He mentioned Telehealth as a way to do that. “Telemedicine is something that holds great promise”  He says as a way to deal with issues such as provider shortages and barriers to access to quality care.

The next speaker was Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association.  Sure he mentioned problems facing rural America such as Opioid Addiction and hospital closures, but he is also optimistic.  One of his reasons for optimism is the rise of telehealth.  “We need to advocate for Telehealth Policies that make sense,” he says, “and that includes broadband access”.

There were breakout sessions and I spent some time talking to people from VCU, Radford and other Universities, People from Behavioral Health organziations, Rural Development organizations and more.  Overall it was time well spent.  I was happy to learn more and also share what knowledge I have about what telehealth can do to provide better care to the people

who need it.  I even had some good conversations with Clint Carney, from Telmedx, who provides a different kind of telehealth service.  Let me know of you have any questions or any insight about reaching the people who need care in these rural areas.  I’d love to have a conversation with you.

Thank you VRHA!

The *NEW* Role of Telehealth in Treating Substance Abuse Disorder

The *NEW* Role of Telehealth in Treating Substance Abuse Disorder

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(From pharmacyforme.org)

Our nation is in Crisis.  The Opioid Crisis in America is having devastating effects nationwide.  I was recently in West Virginia at the Rural Health Conference and it seems that there is no solution for this problem that is destroying communities and ruining lives.  While areas in and near West Virginia have been hit hard, the crisis is not exclusive to the rural Appalchian region. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse from back in March, there are 115 overdose deaths each day nationally.

There is help.  Suboxone is medicine designed to treat Opioid Addiction.  People with Substance Abuse Disorder can use suboxone and have a dramatic increase in quality of life.  For a while now, getting access to Suboxone has been a challenge for a number of reasons.  There is a stigma associated with Substance Abuse Disorder that is keeping people from admitting to themselves or their families that they need help.  It is also difficult for many people to get to a Doctor because of problems associated with their disorder such as loss of a driver’s liscense and other illnesses.

Here;s the good news! Last week, The President of the United States signed the Support for Patients and Communities Act. According to Mobi Health News, “The latest legislation expands opioid-specific telemedicine services… Further down in the bill, the telemedicine portion spelled out that states will be able to seek federal reimbursement under Medicaid for telemedicine services of substance abuse disorders including medication-assisted treatment, counseling, medication management and medication adherence.”

This is an exciting time, barriers to access are being removed and people’s lives can be changed and lives can be saved.  At Secure Telehealth we want to help as many people as possible get access to the life changing care that is available to them through Medication Assisted Treatment of their Substance Abuse Disorder.  Please give us a call or contact us below with any questions that you may have.

Telehealth News and Notes

Telehealth News and Notes

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Hello and Welcome to the Secure Telehealth News and Notes Newsletter.  Check here for the latest in the Telehealth industry, policy updates and innovative ways people are using Telehealth to improve access to quality health care.

Geoffrey Boyce from Insight Telepsychiatry writes on the HealthCare Finance Association webpage about the provider shortage facing the Health care industry.  He mentions statistics about the lack of access in certain areas around the country.  If you are looking to use your provider for effectively and save money or get Telepsychiatry contracts with other organizations, we can help you get started.

Remote Monitoring is a big part of Telemedicine.  Click here for more information about a new Non-invasive continuous Blood Pressure Measurement system for remote monitoring.

Symbol Health Solutions based in Alabama is using Telehealth software to provide health coaching which is a low cost way to help people and save on health care costs.

Remote Monitoring and Health coaching are just two ways that providers hope can keep costs down, keep people healthy and keep them out of Emergency Rooms.

We would love to hear about what you’re doing with Telehealth.  Let us know if we can help!

 
What’s holding you back? Overcoming Obstacles in your Telehealth Practice

What’s holding you back? Overcoming Obstacles in your Telehealth Practice

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I read this interesting article today from Forbes. The writers, Gary Price M.D. and Tim Norbeck outline the promises of how telemedicine services will help in the future but also explain some of the reasons people are abandoning it now or not even starting yet.  The promises have been documented on this site and others extensively, but these are a few of the reasons why people aren’t ready to commit quite yet.

  1. Providers are finding it very hard to get paid.  This is tough for sure.  Every state has different laws regarding whether or not Medicaid will pay for the session and how much.  It seems that some insurance companies will pay for some services and some won’t without any real explanation.  With our research and experiences providing software in all 50 states, we can help you navigate through the confusion.  For many of our customers, we provide more than just software, but we act as a “consultant” to help them be sure that they have a successful Telehealth practice.  Even of you’re not a client, please contact us below or give us a call.  We often find that we learn from each other when discussing the latest in the Medical Technology industry.
  2. Providers and Health organizations are concerned about Privacy.  We take this very seriously, Secure Telehealth software does not store any health information.  Providers and Health organizations continue to use their own EHR and scheduling software. This makes a telehealth session get treated exactly the same as an in person session which already has security protocols in place.  We understand HIPAA and will sign a Business Associate Agreement with the clients which allows us to provide the software and offer technical support.
  3. Another obstacle, not specifically mentioned in the article, is that people are afraid of the technology. They could think that it would be too complicated or they give up because there are too many technical problems.  At Secure Telehealth, we take care of the technology so you can focus on helping people.  At no additional cost, We will assist in setting up each location and train all of the providers and presenting nurses.  Even when providers or patients are in their own homes we can test their system so that everyone can be confident that the meetings will be go smoothly.  Lastly, even if we haven taken all precautions, sometimes something still goes wrong, A computer is muted, or there was a software update, or an operating system changes or one of any number of other technical problems occur and we will answer the phone and help you right away so that a session is not missed.

The Health care Revolution is coming, I hope nothing is holding you back.

Image from Healthleadersmedia.com

 
Customer Success Stories

Customer Success Stories

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Experts Say “Great Execution” is required in order to make telehealth work. Read below how several Secure Telehealth Customers are executing telehealth programs successfully.

Jon Day is the executive director of Blue Valley Behavioral Health in Nebraska, While using Secure Telehealth, they have grown into the largest psychiatric provider in Nebraska.

“With any new service delivery system, it needs to be implemented wisely and having a particular strategy driving it. Secure Telehealth has allowed us to increase the number of clients we see, expand services, provide services in new environments, increase the productivity of our staff and increase our overall revenue.”

For more from Blue Valley, click here

Annie Mills is the Director of Nursing for New Oakland Family Services with 9 locations in and around Detroit, Michigan. New Oakland has been using Secure Telehealth to provide telehealth software for over two years. She and her providers have seen tremendous benefit to their organization by utilizing the telehealth software. Please take a second and read some of the reviews from their providers and please contact us if you think we can be of assistance in a similar way.

Specialty care without waiting – “Telehealth improves access to care for patients that would otherwise have to wait or not be able to receive specialty care. I can service my pediatric consumers and those in need of addiction care with much less wait periods.”

A better environment for many mental health patients – “Patients who are shy or nervous, but comfortable and familiar with gaming and interacting in a digital fashion, feel more relaxed. It can be intimidating for many people to be in a doctor’s office and they may feel too overwhelmed by the circumstance to reveal their real thoughts. But, sitting in a room by themselves gives them their own territory and personal space. “

 

Adam Raulerson from the Laurelwood Hospital in the Northeast Georgia Health System

“We have used Secure Telehealth for 6 years now…very user friendly and effective for our use. It is User friendly for both my staff and the remote hospitals we support. Secure Telehealth requires minimal to no IT support. I installed and I test the equipment/software monthly. It is Cost effective. The most affordable product that meets our needs. Initially, there seemed to be upgrades way too often. That has changed and less upgrades are required.”

“We have seen Increased timely access for patient care and Reduction in overall cost of providing our services.”

Dr, James Greenblatt from Walden Behavioral Health in Massachusetts shares how Secure Telehealth has helped his practice grow.

Secure Telehealth was the “easy option and the best way to get started and maintain lower cost and investment as we grew our programs”

“I was skeptical as a Psychiatrist of what kind of relationship you can have with a patient – would they be honest? Would they be able to read nonverbal cues? And I really feel that I can provide a good assessment – Everything from empathy to emotions and tears to a comprehensive exam is definitely do-able in Telehealth”

Telehealth News and Notes week of 8/27/2018

Telehealth News and Notes week of 8/27/2018

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Welcome to the newest feature on the website.  Here we will be providing a weekly round up of news and notes regarding implementation of telehealth services across the 50 states and beyond.  In the past week, a few changes have been made allowing for increase utilization of telehealth in various areas.

  1. In a move to address the opioid abuse crisis, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed into law a bill requiring the state’s Medicaid program to cover behavioral and mental health services delivered by telehealth and telemedicine. See Full story here.
  2. “Trained or not, family doctors and pediatricians are on the front lines of mental health care”  This article discusses the pcp or the pediatrician as the first line of defense in the mental health crisis.  With less than adequate training, many Doctors are being forced to treat and help children and adults with a variety of possible mental health concerns.  Through the use of telehealth software, a patient from the comfortable surroundings of his or her regular Doctor’s office can consult with a Psychiatrist to see of further treatment would be necessary.  Adding telehealth services would be an inexpensive way to take the burden off of the PCPs or pediatricians and a Psychiatrist that markets his or her services to an office like this would be in high demand.
  3. How can we help our most vulnerable patients?   Click here for more from “The Second Wave” in Michigan

Thank you! Check back for more next week from Secure Telehealth

“Better than Face to Face”

“Better than Face to Face”

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Health Care Organizations utilizing telehealth software often wonder, “Will it work as well as our face to face appointments?” or “Will we have to sacrifice the quality of our patient care?”  They are concerned that the experience of meeting with a provider through a video conference will be intimidating for a patient or uncomfortable for the provider.  Many organizations using Secure Telehealth for their HIPAA – compliant video conferencing have been pleasantly surprised.  Not only are we hearing that when using our telehealth software, the sessions are just as effective, in many cases we are hearing that the telehealth session are even better than face to face.  Here are some examples:

“Patients who are shy or nervous, but comfortable and familiar with gaming and interacting in a digital fashion, feel more relaxed. It can be intimidating for many people to be in a doctor’s office and they may feel too overwhelmed by the circumstance to reveal their real thoughts. But, sitting in a room by themselves gives them their own territory and personal space.”

  • Annie Mills, Director of Nursing at New Oakland Family Centers in Michigan

“Telehealth access has helped me be able to see clients more regularly and consistently because we don’t have to wait for face to face openings or problems related to clients travelling long distances to be seen.  I have also experienced cases where clients have been able to be more open, honest, and forthcoming on telehealth relative to face to face contacts.”

  • Jack Carlson LIMHP, Mental Health Therapist at Blue Valley Behavioral Health

 

Want to hear more about how adding Telehealth services can help your organization?  Or hear more about what we do at Secure Telehealth?  Contact Us today!

Telemedicine and the Coming Physician Shortage

Telemedicine and the Coming Physician Shortage

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Thank you very much to Altrius for preparing this white paper.  I read it this morning and wanted to share it.  The numbers are compelling.  Rural areas will be hit hardest and the article explains how many areas are already being stretched thin.  We have helped many organizations combat this issue by using our telehealth software and we can help you as well. Click here to give the article a look:  Physician_Shortage_WhitePaper

Brian Henry from Decatur Morgan Hospital

Brian Henry from Decatur Morgan Hospital

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Jim from Secure Telehealth had an amazing conversation with Brian Henry, from Decatur Morgan Hospital in Decatur, AL this morning.  We sat down and talked about how Telehealth has been used to improve his organization tremendously.  Secure Telehealth has helped them increase patient access, save money, meet the demand and help more people.  Give us a couple of minutes and give it a listen and contact us to see how we can help your organization today!

Feeling your Pain part 2: Increasing and Improving your patient’s access to mental health services.

Feeling your Pain part 2: Increasing and Improving your patient’s access to mental health services.

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We all have images in our head of what an emergency room is like. Stressful and tense are two words that come to mind. People could be in the emergency room seeking treatment for almost anything. My previous two experiences in the emergency room range from a barely broken finger to a spider bite that was so bad the Doctors and Nurses had to sedate me because I couldn’t stop writhing in pain. It was in while I was in college that I barely broke my finger playing basketball and my memories of the emergency room include people who came in after me getting called back to be seen and taken care of earlier than I was. I guess that finger just wasn’t that big of a deal. The spider bite, however, had me being seen almost immediately and nurses and Doctors attending to me and my pain right away.

The staff in emergency rooms are used to dealing with challenging patients and tense situations but there are certain situations that can still make their job more challenging. When a patient enters an emergency room with a mental health issue and an assessment from a Psychiatrist is needed, it can add greatly to the stress level of the staff and affect the quality of care that the patient receives. If the emergency room is lucky enough to have access to a Psychiatrist, then they could be seen right away and that patient gets the help that he or she needs in a timely manner. The reality is that many emergency room locations do not have a Psychiatrist available because they may be located in a rural area where there is a provider shortage or it just might be that a Psychiatrist isn’t working that night. This is where Telehealth comes in.

A nurse or staff member, through a video-conference on a laptop or tablet or even a smartphone can talk to provider in a remote location and the patient can be assessed right away. The patient gets a professional assessment right away and is assigned the proper treatment options more quickly. Our clients have contracts with Psychiatrists in different locations who may be on call at a variety of locations in the same night. Our HIPAA Compliant video conferencing software is simple and does not require any heavy duty or expensive equipment, it can be run on your basic laptop or iPad. Using Telehealth has alleviated the pain of Emergency rooms not having to pay the expense of staffing a Psychiatrist around the clock and increased the quality of care for that patient because they can make the proper decisions much more quickly.

Lakeside Hospital in Memphis, TN is a case study in the effectiveness of using our Video Conferencing in the Mental Health and Emergency room areas. Please take a minute and read their testimonial below and give us a call to see how we can help your situation and alleviate your pain.

Increasing patient access – Lakeside Hospital in Memphis

“Secure Telehealth has changed the way we interact with patients in a positive way. Since implementing this product, we have dramatically decreased the time patients wait for their behavioral assessments and their treatment, expediting their transportation to the facility that best fits their treatment needs. Getting the patient the help they need is what we do, Secure Telehealth helps us get it done faster.”

-Wilson Foy

For more case studies, browse Our Customer Success Stories page!