Hybrid Telemedicine - On Site and Remote Care
In the field of telemedicine, specifically in medical facilities, there are occasional situations where a hybrid environment creates the highest quality care. Hybrid telemedicine involves seeing a medical professional in person as well as ongoing treatment via telemedicine, ensuring the initial assessment can evaluate issues in person and the ongoing treatment is convenient for the patients. This combination of an in-person provider coming in on an occasional basis and a telemedicine provider can often be the hardest to provide and where a staffing firm such as FasPsych comes in with its large network of providers.
How Hybrid Treatment Works for Telepsychiatry
Hybrid telepsychiatry keeps all the advantages of telemedicine while adding an in person touch to minimize chang to your existing workflows. Often an initial psychiatric evaluation and a yearly examination can be done in person, on scheduled dates, with a provider who comes on site. They’ll be credentialed with your facility and licensed in your state, and can review the patient in person while also addressing any concerns that may come up with your staff. This can be the same provider as the one used for telemedicine or a different one with a more convenient schedule. In cases of the use of an NP as your primary provider, this can be their collaborative physician in states with such a requirement. All relevant information will still be entered into your Electronic Health Record to ensure continuity of care.
More than Locum Tenens – A Large On Site and Virtual Network
Locum Tenens networks, or medical temporary staffing, are often limited to on site providers. These networks may also require long term contracts, housing, and other costs. They’re often designed for full time on site providers, not for intermittent visit hybrid telemedicine staffing, a new need. It’s easier for a telemedicine first company to add part time on site staffing due to it’s expertise in working with various facility and technology needs rather than a locum tenens company adding telemedicine as a secondary service. Modern services require modern solutions, and the technology involved in hybrid telemedicine requires knowledge of all aspects of implmenetation.
While focused as a telemedicine company, the use of on site staffing is an area of expertise for FasPsych, as this has been used for various tribal and disability contracts, as well as in states where this is preferred for prescriptions. A large contracted provider network will prevent the need for a single clinic to be the only one to use a medical provider, lowering costs.
Meeting Unique Regulatory Frameworks
With changing frameworks for prescriptions, specifically for controlled substances, some clinical groups as well as state level organizations are looking to have visits in person on a regular interval (often on first visit or yearly), while patients still want the convenience of telemedicine for regular medication.
While this is not necessary in most states and situations, you may find after review that the best solution for your clinic is a hybrid telepsychiatry treatment environment. FasPsych cannot predict future changes, but it can help your organization be ready to meet them.
Ongoing improvements in both telemedicine and on-site staff networks as well as the ability to uniquely recruit for your needs ensure you can have an on site locum tenens type experience without the cost of a full time or locum tenens provider.