ROI

State and federal officials approved new telehealth policies and reimbursement codes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By adopting — and maintaining — telehealth programs for your patients who have peripheral artery disease, critical limb ischemia and who need wound care, you can grow your practice through technology and expand your patient base.

But how can medical practices use these new codes to capture telehealth earnings? CarePICS President Chris Bromley, DPM answers questions about how the CarePICS platform provides a significant return on investment (ROI) to podiatrists and other healthcare providers. He also explains how CarePICS meets reimbursement guidelines and provides PHI protection through Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance.

The ROI Benefits of CarePICS: A Q&A with Chris Bromley, DPM

1. How can my practice afford the CarePICS app?

Dr. Bromley: Providers pay for CarePICS via a software subscription. CarePICS provides custom packages for a variety of providers, including:

• Podiatrists
• Vascular specialists
• Primary care physicians (PCPs)
• Wound care clinics
• Home health & skilled nurses                                                

The 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, released November 1, 2018 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unbundled four existing CPT codes and created two new CPT codes in the category of Interprofessional/Internet/Electronic Health Record Consultation (“ICC”).

CarePICS provides a way to perform charge capture for activities related to these new interprofessional consults and telehealth visits. CarePICS providers receive a report of all of these activities for practice management and processing purposes.

2. What are some other ways CarePICS can provide ROI?

Dr. Bromley: When using CarePICS, you become part of a network of other providers and practices.Podiatrists and other physicians can connect with PCPs who need wound care specialists. You’ll be able to increase referrals and streamline the process of receiving specialty consult requests. Each type of provider can realize additional revenue from telehealth visits and virtual consults while leveraging “charge capture” and the Services Incident to Care Model. Your subscription also includes your non-provider staff and patient support partners at no extra cost.

CarePICS’ smart ordering system also speeds up third-party supply orders and ensures accuracy and compliance. Documentation is automatically generated and is sent to providers to sign. Then it goes straight to a third-party distributor who sends it to your patient. CarePICS also documents changes in wound healing required for certain biological dressing reimbursement.

3. How is CarePICS HIPAA compliant?

Dr. Bromley: Risk mitigationis a key role in managing a successful medical practice.A single HIPAA violation could cost $10,000, and all because a provider has unsecured pictures on a cellphone.

Apple and Android security requirements are not the same as the United States government. A busy physician may use their phone to take pictures of a patient’s wound. Unfortunately, using the Wi-Fi at a local coffee shop could expose patient information. Your phone’s vulnerabilities put you at risk for lawsuits and loss of revenue.

All PHI used by CarePICS is encrypted at rest and in transit. Data is stored on Amazon web servers in the US. Your protected health information is safe with CarePICS

4. How does CarePICS improve the patient experience?

Dr. Bromley: CarePICS facilitates a safe environment to communicate in the pandemic and beyond.The time and travel cost savings of telehealth for non-emergency patient assessment increases your access and value to your patient.

Virtual visits keep patients — especially older patients — engaged. The elderly don’t have to wear themselves out getting to appointments or asking for rides. Younger patients are comfortable with technological advancements and won’t have to take time off work. The result is better care quality for patients and the ability to expand your practice without adding staff or to your office.

5. Are there any barriers to implementation of CarePICS?

Dr. Bromley: Change is something we hate the most and need the most. Most practitioners know they need to expand their virtual patient outreach. The good news is CarePICS is here to guide you every step of the way. We provide virtual training for your staff and care partners

Though some might believe a telehealth solution will add to their workload CarePICS actually reduces your workload with automated workflows, streamlined processes, activity tracking and reports, and the ability to triage patients immediately.

Visit our website to learn more about our smart way to manage patients who have wounds while generating new revenue opportunities for medical practices.

About CarePICS

CarePICS^® is a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform designed to manage vascular disease and wound care patients. CarePICS enables virtual consults, telehealth visits, clinical image reporting, and automated medical supply ordering.