The Benefits of Telespecialty Clinics
©2019 InTouch Health. InTouch Health is a registered trademark of InTouch Technologies, Inc.
February 2019 | Dignity Health
Dignity Health®, one of the largest health systems in the nation and the largest hospital provider in California, is a nonprofit public benefit company principally servicing California, Arizona, and Nevada. In 2019, The Dignity Health Telemedicine Network (DHTN) provided telemedicine services at 52 different locations in those three states and Hawaii, at both Dignity Health and non-Dignity Health facilities including acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, ambulatory clinics, homes, and other community-based care settings. Through fiscal year 2019, the DHTN provided nearly 40,000 telemedicine encounters across all telehealth services.
The DHTN is currently developing scalable telehealth programs across the care continuum with the hope that one day remote care and in-person care shall be indistinguishable.
The Challenge
In 2015, the DHTN identified telehealth program opportunities within their clinic system and redesigned five existing specialty service lines to provide remote access to medical specialties not available in rural areas.
The DHTN’s primary objectives in setting up a Telespecialty Clinic Program included:
• Increase access to specialty providers
• Decrease the long travel times for both patients and clinicians
• Decrease hospitalization rates, keeping patients in their community and out of high cost locations
• Decrease no-show rates for efficient care and time management
With willing providers to develop a scalable solution, Dignity Health began to implement telehealth in specialty outpatient clinics.
DHTN TELESPECIALTY SERVICE LINES:
• Teleneurology (multiple sclerosis
• and movement disorders) Telebehavioral health
• Telecardiology
• Tele-electrophysiology
• Teleneurosurgery
The ability to see patients without requiring them to travel extensive distance is a real benefit. In addition to improving access to care, patients arrive more focused, rested and less hassled, ensuring better satisfaction from the visit.
Having telehealth in a rural community is an invaluable service . . . our patients receive the best care close to home.
DHTN serves 52 Locations across 4 states
THE SOLUTION
The DHTN’s requirements in selecting a telehealth solution to meet their needs were:
• Support initial consult visit and follow-up care
• High-quality audio/video visit with provider camera controls
•Documentation and scheduling capabilities
The DHTN uses Teladoc Health as one of its telehealth partners because of their willingness to partner in developing and implementing clinic specific software and devices. Additionally, providers appreciated Teladoc Health’s simplicity and ease of use.
Purpose-built for telehealth in outpatient clinics, Teladoc Health worked with the DHTN to create the Vici. Used in combination with Teladoc Health’sCoordinator software module, the Teladoc Vici ensures easy workflow adoption for on-site providers and remote specialists.
Dignity Health’s previous experiences using InTouch Health for acute care as well as the ability to coordinate care across a single virtual care platform solidified their decision.
THE Results
The DHTN found that the benefits of Telespecialty clinics satisfied their main objectives: decreased no-shows, increased patient satisfaction, lessened patient travel time, and kept patients in their community. Dignity Health also saw high utilization for their Telespecialty program with 5,270 consults from 2015–2019.
In 2018, Tele-endocrinology in a single clinic resulted in:
176 Consults
20,275 Patient miles saved
31.2% Reduced no-show rate
Across their Telespecialty programs, DHTN providers and patients surveyed expressed high satisfaction both with the technology and quality of the programs.
Practical definition of telehealth is collaboration between provider, patient, operation and technology. Our goal is to provide a transformative care delivery experience across the entire care continuum and deliver value-based care. Dignity Health saw InTouch as partner in development of the Vici to enable a scalable outpatient clinic program.
