Posted By Amanda Girard On August 12, 2021
Benefits of an Embedded EHR Telehealth Tool
The healthcare field is quickly moving towards using telehealth solutions to increase patient care. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred its use with an immediate need to connect patients with clinicians virtually, and now it is here to stay. When looking for a telehealth app for your clinic, consider the benefits of using an embedded EHR telehealth tool over purchasing an external-to-EHR telehealth product. If your telehealth app is embedded into your Electronic Health Record (EHR) system you will save on time, money and frustration.
An embedded EHR telehealth tool is one that is built right into your Electronic Health Records system, requiring no separate product to login to. This creates a more streamlined workflow than having an external and separate tool to learn and incorporate. This will prevent your staff from having to make duplicate entries and juggle between two applications thereby reducing errors, saving time and reducing risk of clinician burnout.
By using an embedded EHR telehealth tool, one-click creates the functionality you need. One selection creates the telehealth appointments (easy for scheduler staff), starts the visits (easy for provider) and allows the patient to enter the visit (easy for the patient). In the same system you can then create invoices for billing (easy for the billing staff). Changes made while using an embedded EHR telehealth tool would also update the patient’s health records instantaneously. This ensures your clinicians are viewing the latest health information and are able to make clinical documentation while still face-to-face with your patients virtually.
To stay vigilant against cyberattacks, healthcare agencies need to make cybersecurity a priority in every tool and application they use. While there are HIPAA-compliant external telehealth tools available, they can be very expensive add-ons. If you use an embedded EHR telehealth tool as part of a certified Electronic Health Record product, then you can be sure it has been evaluated for security and HIPAA compliance along with the EHR system itself. This can give you confidence that the telehealth tool you are using is a safe choice. It also prevents you from having to purchase an expensive external application.
Health agencies and clinics make bold steps towards the future of healthcare by incorporating telehealth. Telehealth tools increase patient access to the right care, at the right place, at the right time. They save patients time and money and allow clinicians to see more patients. A merged EHR telehealth solution just increases the flow of information even further and gives your team confidence in a secure product that already works within your existing Electronic Health Record workflow.
