The Impact of Digital Health on the Ages

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How does digital health affect the circle of life?

Today, a patient’s well-being rests in the hands of multiple healthcare professionals, including primary care providers, specialists and surgeons – and sometimes in their own hands with the latest medical devices and technological advances.

In keeping up with this new delivery model, it’s important to understand how people of all ages, pediatric to geriatric, attribute to the nation’s overall population health, its effects on the healthcare system and the United States’ bottom line, while also understanding how technology can play a major role.

This free eBook addresses:

• The definition of digital health, the current landscape, as well as what’s to come
• How individuals of all ages affect the health care system and how digital health can help
• Three health care specialties positioned for digital health growth
• The role of technology as we shift to value based care
• Missing pieces of the digital health offering

Download your free copy here!

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescriptsâ„¢ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Docity Meets Increasing Patient Demands with Innovative Telehealth Platform and Integration of DoseSpot e-Prescribing Solution

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NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MA – Docity, a veteran-owned, connected telehealth platform that enables real time HIPAA-compliant communications between healthcare providers and patients, has announced their strategic, patient-driven integration of DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing solution.

The key component of Docity’s business model is simple: to put patients first by listening to their needs and adapting a digital healthcare system based on those needs.

“Docity’s business is driven solely by the patient-centric model and DoseSpot understood that crucial factor from the very beginning,” said James Cowan, CEO, Docity. “As part of this model, Docity knew that incorporating e-Prescribing was a non-negotiable. E-Prescribing isn’t just a feature; it’s something you must have in today’s competing market.”

Prior to integrating DoseSpot, Docity was offering their connected health platform to several clinics with existing patients, but prescribing was done on the clinician’s own terms. Since the integration with DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing solution, Docity will now be able to offer a comprehensive digital platform to serve the needs of individual patients on a subscription basis.

“The integration process with DoseSpot was a breeze,” Cowan added. “Their team was very flexible and actively engaged, working around the clock to ensure that Docity met al Surescripts certification requirements in a timely manner. Furthermore, they were able to work directly with our developers and their project management tool kept everyone organized which made for a seamless process overall.”

Docity is not only meeting the increasing demands of patients and providers, but the DoseSpot integration has better leveraged relationships with key stakeholders, primarily from a compliance perspective.

“Since integrating with DoseSpot, Docity has seen significant buy-in from highly sought after individuals, providers and companies in the healthcare community who are more eager than ever to stand behind our vision,” said Cowan. “It’s a win-win for both parties.”

“Our partnership with Docity is rooted in understanding and listening to both the patients’ and providers’ demands. Patient-centricity is a current healthcare trend we are committed to upholding as the healthcare landscape continues to evolve,” said Greg Waldstreicher, CEO, DoseSpot. “As a telehealth company, Docity recognized that e-Prescribing is a key component of the value-based delivery model and should be interwoven at the forefront to create a seamless healthcare experience for all involved.”

To learn more about how Docity is meeting the demands of the healthcare community with comprehensive and innovative solutions, please visit www.DoseSpot.com or contact Shauna Leighton, Shauna@DoseSpot.com.

About Docity

Docity Health is a connect health startup headquartered in Chattanooga, TN. Their mission is to connect providers with patients and patients with their health through on demand access to healthcare. For additional information please visit www.Docity.com.

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescriptsâ„¢ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

DoseSpot Forecast: 3 Segments Positioned for Telehealth Growth

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It’s no surprise that technology should be considered a key player as we shift to value-based care. With smartphones, tablets and computers, health information is readily available for patients with a simple click of a button. Why should a consultation with a healthcare professional be any different?

Telehealth greatly increases the scope of the healthcare industry and is bound to open huge opportunities in increasing the quality of healthcare. The ultimate goal here, is to prevent hospital readmissions through better management of individuals with chronic conditions, while also reducing associated costs. By enabling remote patient monitoring and remote access to clinicians, market growth is inevitable as awareness and implementation of standards for reimbursement and adoptions of these care models expands.

While several reports claim that “technology gets in the way of the patient experience,” patients are in fact the ones demanding such access to care. This increase in patient demand for telehealth services has prompted many companies and healthcare organizations to think outside of the box and reevaluate the patient-centric model, while questioning what that care model really means to a patient.

Well, it’s simple. Patients want a customized, cost-effective and convenient healthcare experience to which telehealth can provide.

A recent report states that the global telehealth market was valued at $14.3 Billion in 2014 and is estimated to reach $36.3 Billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 14.30% from 2014 to 2020.

With these numbers in tow, we predict the most growth in three different segments:

Behavioral Health and Addiction

As mentioned in a previous post, telehealth has the ability to bridge the gaps in care of behavioral health patients and providers. Not only does it provide a convenient, more comfortable and less expensive medical consultation, but it broadens accessibility to patients whom may not have many options when seeking a behavioral health provider, especially in rural areas. Unfortunately, the lack of psychiatrists and addiction specialists across the nation, as well as the stigma often involved, are contributing to the mental health and addiction issues and creating barriers to appropriate care.

Patients will see their primary care physician and may not receive the exact treatment plan that they need; after all, primary care physicians do not specialize in behavioral health or addiction and often, these illnesses require a lot of time and patience to which the physician may not be able to accommodate. Telehealth will be able to connect patients in need with specialists regardless of their location who know how to treat these specific health issues.

This effective care model will not only lessen the hit on the nation’s bottom line as more and more individuals grapple with suicide, addiction, and other mental health issues, but also revolutionize the way people view the stigma involved and encourage patients to seek help as they are able to receive treatment from the comfort of their own home.

Geriatric Care

Geriatric patients stand to benefit tremendously as a digital health consumer. As mobility can be especially difficult for these patients, the ability to see a physician remotely removes one of the largest barriers to care. Furthermore, transporting patients of this age may potentially do more harm than good.

With telemedicine, providers can more quickly spot at-risk patients and provide interventions to avoid an otherwise unnecessary hospital admission. Similarly, nursing homes can partner with health systems to provide bedside care for their residents at a fraction of the price of an onsite physician.

These infrastructure synergies provide connectivity with electronic health records (EHRs) and create clear communication among hospitals, senior care facilities, referring physicians and patient families. They also provide the link to population based management databases and other health care analytic functions to measure value.

Surgery

Many surgical departments find telehealth to be a more convenient and cost-effective way for pre- and post- operative instructions for procedures of all magnitudes including wisdom teeth extraction, colonoscopies, stent placement and more.

With in-person visits and paper instructions, patients may misinterpret or even forget important information relative to their surgery. This includes what medications to stop taking and how to physically prepare for surgery, while providing a clear, direct line of answers for any questions a patient may have. With instructions digitally delivered prior to surgery, telehealth reduces patient no shows and saves valuable scheduled operating room time.

For post-op patients, providers can check the patient visually, ensuring that patients are following their treatment plans and making adjustments as needed. Through this continuous connection, providers are empowered to deliver the guidance that many patients need as they go through the healing process. These virtual check-ins ensure the patient is on the road to recovery, thus reducing readmission rates all without the patient ever having to leave their home.

Furthermore, telehealth can improve treatment and medication compliance, specifically with controlled substances, i.e. pain medication. Opioid addiction often begins at the hands of a prescriber and with the nation currently facing an opioid epidemic, marrying technology and follow-up appointments when prescribing these types of medications serves as the optimal solution for the safety of all involved.

Technology should no longer be viewed as a barrier to care, but rather embraced in order to improve the healthcare industry, including the improvement of interoperability as well as patient outcomes. Telehealth not only meets the ever increasing demands of patients, but it also assists in preventative care by creating greater access to such care, thus reducing down-the-road costs and burdensome associated with chronic disease. With many chronic diseases being completely preventable, the prevent vs. treat mantra should be sound in every healthcare professional’s mind, while realizing that telehealth is a seamless way of delivering healthcare for all involved.

There may currently be barriers in place regarding reimbursement from payers, but that’s sure to change as more and more payers jump on board for this new delivery model. After all, who’s to say telehealth won’t become the norm and be known as simply….health?

Sources: American Well; OpenPR; mHealth Intelligence; Healthcare IT News

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Bridging the Gap Between Telehealth and Behavioral Health

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Improving the U.S. healthcare system requires the simultaneous pursuit of three ideals: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations and reducing per capita costs of healthcare. “Value-based care” after all, does have its reasons behind the term. In keeping up with this new delivery model, it’s important to understand how behavioral health attributes to population health, its effects on the healthcare system and the nation’s bottom line. This is where technology can play a major role.

In a given year, nearly 44 million adults experience mental illness, with a quarter of them living with a substance use co-disorder. Increasing access to mental health professionals via technology is simply a smart solution as more and more individuals grapple with suicide, addiction, and other mental health issues. Unfortunately, the stigma often associated with mental illness is creating a barrier to treatment, but telehealth companies are realizing this enormous growth opportunity and are remaining at the forefront by providing a more convenient and less expensive medical consultation.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

Since counseling really only requires the ability for patients and providers to speak via video or phone, utilizing telehealth applications allows patients to receive treatment without judgement in the comfort of their own home. It creates a safe space for mental health dialogue, thus aiming to reduce hospital admissions and its associated costs. Therefore, behavioral health must embrace technology and its ability to bridge the gaps in care to the benefit of patients nationwide.

To expand upon the evolving increase in technological access to care, it’s important to note that less than 50% of Americans who are prescribed medications to treat mental health conditions take them as directed, if at all, according to industry reports. Marrying telehealth and efforts such as medication adherence programs can assist a patient’s road to recovery while reducing the $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year associated with serious mental illness in America.

Sources: Health Affairs; HealthcareDIVE; National Alliance on Mental Illness; Forbes

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Is Telehealth Changing the Game for Healthcare?

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A study recently published by The New England Journal of Medicine stated that telehealth is positioned to revolutionize medical care. It’s fair to say that technologies are making a lot of things possible that wouldn’t have happened even a few years ago, but it’s also fair to say that this new age of telemedicine poses new risks and a few hurdles to overcome for the healthcare industry, providers, and patients alike.

One limitation that the industry is currently experiencing is the adoption of reimbursement for medical delivery systems by payers across the country, specifically the lack of coverage and “unequal” treatment of receiving care via technological advances. Luckily, certain states have put telehealth parity laws into place, thus requiring coverage and reimbursement for telehealth under private insurance, Medicaid, and workers compensation as though services were provided in person. Medicare, on the other hand, seems to be last to join the party which makes sense considering the population it serves.

Want to learn more? Download our free telehealth whitepaper!

Throughout the article, the biggest issue rings loudly: the digital divide between the industry and the populations they serve, whether that be the elderly, lower income individuals, or the less educated. These groups are less likely to have the means to participate in telehealth options. No computer or smartphone = no digital health adoption.

While there are a few bumps in the road, telehealth does serve up some benefits as well:

• Doctors across several specialties are easily accessible for patients. This helps individuals with time constraints, lack of transportation or means to visit a doctor, and includes those whom have chronic diseases that need to be monitored closely and more frequently.
• Telehealth is cost-effective. What one may pay toward their deductible or out-of-pocket maximum for an in-office visit is undoubtedly lower than an e-visit which can typically be found for $50 or less.
• E-visits will contribute to less hospital readmissions, therefore reducing overall healthcare and drug spend which is astronomical in this country.

Ultimately, telehealth is meant to be an extension of the provider’s office, not a replacement. It will enable medical professionals to meet the growing burden of chronic disease, while enhancing the patient-centric, value-based care model the United States is currently trying to implement.

What do you think of this shift to digital health? Exciting or nerve-wracking? Share your thoughts with me below!

Sources: The New England Journal of Medicine

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Digital Health Clinic Maven Integrates DoseSpot e-Prescribing

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Needham Heights, MA (PRWEB) June 02, 2015

DoseSpot, an industry leader in e-Prescribing integration platforms for medical, dental and telehealth software, today announced that Maven, a digital health clinic designed exclusively for women, has completed Surescripts certification through DoseSpot.

Maven offers on demand video appointments directly to women seeking customized care for health and wellness, prenatal care, postpartum care and family care. Maven has hundreds of medical professionals available at the click of a button and through the DoseSpot integration, Maven’s prescribers can e-Prescribe to more than 65,000 pharmacies nationwide.

Maven opted to completely customize the look and feel of the DoseSpot user interface by tailoring the DoseSpot provided cascading style sheets (CSS). This allowed Maven to quickly match the DoseSpot and Maven user interfaces for a seamless e-Prescribing experience. “DoseSpot customers have the ability to completely white label our e-Prescribing solution”, said Greg Waldstreicher, CEO, DoseSpot. “And we have really enjoyed working with Maven to customize their DoseSpot CSS for mobile optimization as their patients and prescribers conduct video appointments on mobile devices.”

Through the DoseSpot integration, Maven prescribers are now able to route prescriptions electronically to the patient’s pharmacy of choice for the patient to then pick up. This workflow saves all parties involved a substantial amount of time as the patient does not need to travel to the prescriber’s office and the prescriber no longer needs to call the pharmacy. The telehealth care model is entirely focused around efficiency and the DoseSpot e-Prescribing integration further fuels increased efficiencies for the patient, prescriber and pharmacy.

“At Maven our mission is to support women by giving them instant access to healthcare. Sometimes this involves a prescription for medication. Our partnership with DoseSpot has enabled our network of doctors, midwives, and nurse practitioners to write prescriptions quickly, safely, and seamlessly,” said Katherine Ryder, Founder and CEO of Maven.

For more information on e-Prescribing Integration platforms and DoseSpot, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com or contact Lindsay Walsh, Lindsay(at)dosespot(dot)com.

About Maven 
Maven is a digital clinic for women. Get your health questions answered by doctors, nurse practitioners, OB/GYNs, lactation consultants, doulas, mental health specialists, physical therapists and nutritionists via video appointments and free forums. For more information, please visit http://www.MavenClinic.com.

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Read the full press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/06/prweb12760396.htm

Grades Matter: State-by-State telemedicine performances and what they mean

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In the days of schooling that we all loved and miss dearly, report cards were used to denote “good” and “poor” students. Similarly, within the realm of U.S. telemedicine, standards to separate a “good” state for telemedicine and a “not-so-good” one have been put into motion. Earlier this month at its annual conference, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) released two key reports: a state-by-state analysis of coverage and reimbursement policies for telemedicine services and a second on physician practice standards and licensure in each state.

So who made the grade? In terms of coverage and reimbursement, five states (six including the District of Columbia) received an A based on 13 criteria. New Mexico, one of the lucky “A” states, received its grade for a few key reasons worth sharing:

• New Mexico has distinguished telehealth parity for private insurance, Medicaid and its state employee health plans.
• New Mexico is one of just five states to specify that its Medicaid program must cover telemedicine services provided by substance-abuse or addiction specialists.
• New Mexico Medicaid also covers telemental health delivered by licensed clinical social workers and counselors (as do several others). However, only New Mexico, Oklahoma and Washington do so for behavioral analysts. This trend, according to the ATA, “is unique because these specialists are critical for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.”

And then there were those who didn’t make the class. The only two states to earn failing grades on coverage policies are small New England neighbors, Connecticut and Rhode Island. These two states each failed the three major categories–parity for private insurance, Medicaid and state employee health plans–mainly due to their lack of Medicaid telemedicine coverage (according to the ATA). Both Connecticut and Rhode Island allow telemedicine services without a telepresenter or other healthcare professional present with the patient and neither got extra points for innovative service-delivery models.

Catch up on your telemedicine news and see how all 50 states fared here with the ATA’s official telemedicine report card!

SOURCE: MedCity News

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

2015: Is the “Year of the Telemedicine” Upon Us?

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Have you texted, web chatted or Skyped with your doctor lately? You may want to, as health professionals and digital health entrepreneurs alike are predicting great things for telemedicine in the coming year. There’s no disputing that telemedicine “went big” in 2014—with provider communication, patient engagement and care coordination products dominating the digital health space, remote care and patient-to-provider telemedicine services proliferated virtually every area of the market. This “boom,” however, is expected to intensify in 2015 with ambitious predictions already circling within the wide and wonderful world of healthcare.

According to a recent article published by VentureBeat, there are several key indicators that 2015 will be the year that telemedicine has a takeoff of epic proportions. Check out the numbers:

• As of 2016, the global telemedicine market is predicted to be $27 billion with Virtual health Services accounting for $16 billion.
• By 2018, 65% of interactions with healthcare organizations will be done via mobile devices.
• Rock Health, a San Francisco-based digital health accelerator and seed fund, estimates that $4.1 billion of new capital in 2014 was invested in digital health—up from less than $1 million in 2011 (Forbes Magazine).

With the aforementioned financial gains on the near horizon, major players in the healthcare space—such as providers and insurance companies—can expect worthwhile benefits:

• Remote patient-to-provider virtual consults have the potential to reduce the need for all in-person doctor visits by up to 93%. This translates into savings of about $103 per primary care visit and $1,067 per emergency room visit. Your wallets will be thanking you!
• 50% of all doctor visits can be conducted virtually and 70% of all electronic health record (EHR) visits can be conducted remotely.

Finally, the patient—posited at the center of care—wins in the grand scheme of telehealth, as on-demand and high quality care becomes a reality. With a vast and continuously growing population of aging Americans, proponents of virtual visits point to the advantages conferred to those lacking easy access to a doctor’s offices, namely the elderly, the frail and those in rural areas. Telehealth is certainly headed in a strongly positive direction. Will predictions prevail? Only time will tell!

SOURCES: VentureBeat and Forbes Magazine 

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Telehealth Overview, Utilization and Trends

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Gone are the days of taking the morning off from work to squeeze in a last minute doctor’s appointment to diagnose the flu-like symptoms you developed over night. The new alternative is telehealth, a concept that is bringing innovation to the traditional methods of healthcare delivery and accessibility, providing patients and doctors with greater flexibility and efficiency. Telehealth has already taken 2014 by storm and has instantly become the new healthcare IT buzz word. So much so that DoseSpot created a new Telehealth White Paper to share information on current telehealth utilization and upcoming trends. Within the white paper you will also find information on how telehealth companies can leverage e-Prescribing software to enhance the telehealth visit for both doctors and patients.

To download DoseSpot’s Telehealth White Paper, please visit www.dosespot.com/telehealth-whitepaper.

E-Prescribing 101

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Electronic prescribing is not just the ability to send prescriptions electronically to pharmacies. E-Prescribing can also increase care quality in a number of ways:

• E-prescribing makes sure that the prescriber is providing enough specific information for the pharmacist to fill the prescription, including the name of the drug, the dosage, its physical form, the route, and the physician’s instructions.
• Electronic prescribing software eliminates the time and effort of trying to understand the prescriber’s handwriting, as well as the chance of an error in that translation.
• E-prescribing significantly reduces the chance that the prescriber’s intentions are misinterpreted.
• E-prescribing is often used in conjuction with clinical decision support to ensure that any drug to drug interactions or drug to diagnosis issues are found and reported to the physician before the prescription order is completed.

Electronic prescribing is considered one of the most important areas of Healthcare IT, which is why Medicare created payment incentives for physicians who use a qualified e-prescribing system. In 2009, the incentives are an increase of 2% in revenue for each patient when e-prescribing is used. Due to the 2009 HITECH Act, electronic prescribing is required as part of any EMR (EHR) which qualifies for Medicare reimbursement in 2011.