With COVID cases continuing to fluctuate and regions following different mandates, it’s important that healthcare continues to evolve to the times. One of the best ways to do this: maintain virtual appointments and services. Whether patients are concerned with being exposed or they’re living in a rural area that doesn’t offer a specialty they need, offering more options will get your clinic more revenue and streamline the process.
Convenience
This benefit applies to both your office and the patient. Instead of worrying about a commute, patients can simply have their appointment in the comfort of their own home. For those who live in rural areas, virtual care has opened up a whole new realm of opportunities. While there
will most likely still be a need for in-person appointments down the line, they can begin the process with easy virtual appointments. Plus, telehealth services are often cheaper thanks to less need for certain parts of an in-house visit. For providers, virtual care offers them an efficient way to address patients’ questions and take care of routine check-ins. Their schedules can be more flexible as well, and they could choose to take their morning video appointments at their home office, for example.
Quick Results
Offering a dual service of online chats and virtual video appointments will allow your patients to get timely answers. For non-urgent needs especially, patients will often put it off because of the hassle of contacting the office, trying to find availability, and then most likely having to wait a while to actually get in. A quick chat service with physicians or a video appointment often allows the provider to get back in a timelier manner, so patients feel taken care of and have more trust in their clinician.
When it comes to billing, patients will also appreciate how a virtual appointment typically means a lower cost compared to an in-person one. While the appointment may have the same copay and deductible, patients don’t have to take time off work, pay for gas or parking. This means they’re more likely to reach out as well since the cost of healthcare has become another key reason why patients avoid routine care. Maintaining that ease of digital practices by sending an online bill also increases your chance of the bill being paid on time.
As clinics switch between telehealth and in-person appointments, it’s important that billers know all the relevant codes. If your billing team has been struggling with coding and denied claims, then outsourcing might be the answer. Outsource Receivables Inc. helps our clients save 15% overall on what they’re currently spending on medical billing.