Simple Tips To Make Your Telehealth Practice A Success

Senior person sitting in a wheelchair holding a tablet during a telehealth consultation.

Starting your telehealth practice is a necessary move to accommodate more patients during the pandemic. Setting up your telehealth practice is easier said than done, but we are here to help you see it through.

Here is a list of basic steps you need to take to get your telehealth practice off the ground.

Set Goals

From the beginning, you must define what your goals are for your telehealth practice. Setting goals will dictate your approach and impose metrics in which your success can be measured. This new way of delivering treatment will affect multiple facets of your practice such as patient satisfaction, revenue, no-shows, wait times, appointment cancellations, staff safety, and much more.

Once you’ve chosen your goal, whether it’s expanding access to healthcare or keeping your staff safe. You will be able to answer important questions for the many facets of your practice. Questions like which software for appointments and scheduling should you use? Which app will handle your patient’s queries and how to deal with wait times? Answering these questions will give you the direction you need to construct your telehealth practice.

Purchase Equipment

Your telehealth practice will require three basic pieces of equipment to start microphones, speakers, and webcams. Invest in reliable brands for your equipment because they will have a trickle-down effect on your practice.

  • A good webcam will make it easier to spot what disease the patient contracted.
  • Quality speakers will help you hear their descriptions of their condition better.
  • The best microphones will enable you to get your point across to the patient without repeating yourself.

If you’re not tech-savvy, it’s best to consult with a professional to know what equipment to purchase. You must also train your team to use the equipment properly and to do some basic troubleshooting. It’s best not to rush this process to prevent any problems later.

Reimbursement Regulations

You need to understand how to get paid before you begin your telehealth practice. Each state has different reimbursement laws for telehealth that you must review. You must understand the reimbursement laws for your state to get paid. There may be parity laws in your state that allow reimbursement for video consultations but note that this is not consistent with all the states.

There may also be specific requirements that you need to show to get your reimbursement. You must study the regulations carefully to avoid denials. If you find the rules difficult to understand, it’s best to go seek legal advice to understand everything.

Outsource Billing

Handling your practice’s billing might become overwhelming because of the many new regulations being rolled out regularly. You might find yourself receiving denial after denial because you did not adhere to new medical billing protocols. Partnering up with a trusted billing firm can speed up your telehealth process immensely.

Medical billing firms specialize in understanding all the laws regarding reimbursements for your practice. You will never be blindsided by new regulations ever again because they have dedicated staff that keeps a lookout for any updates. They will also handle the training and implementation of the updates for the billing of your practice. Hiring the right medical billing firm will allow you to focus on the influx of new patients from your telehealth practice.

Online Marketing

Your practice won’t see any new patients for your telehealth practice if patients don’t know about it. It’s important to reach out and advertise your new service for everyone to see. Most patients search for their doctors online through their phones. You need a great website for your practice to put your best foot forward to your potential patients.

The website will serve as an introduction and advertisement for your practice while providing your contact info and answering questions. Hiring the right digital marketing firm can help you stand out from the rest of the competition to get those new patients in your practice.

In the end, starting your telehealth practice is difficult. You need to set goals, purchase equipment, study reimbursement regulations, outsource billing, and handle online marketing to have a chance at success. Hiring the right help can ease the process of getting your telehealth practice off the ground and lead you to new heights of success.