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Patient Overcoming Care Fatigue

Overcoming Care Fatigue with CarePICS

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Ongoing medical appointments can wear down wound care, peripheral artery disease (PAD), and critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients over time. The result? Care fatigue.

Tests, measurements, stressful travel, paperwork, and the wait to be poked and prodded can be physically and mentally exhausting. Many patients may start skipping follow-up appointments because it simply feels easier.

CarePICS is the key to helping your patients overcome care fatigue. The virtual care platform provides a personalized care experience that lessens appointment anxiety for current wound care patients and helps reach new patients through a virtual clinician network.

Help Nurture Strong Patient Relationships

Ninety percent of patients would choose talking to their doctor via video chat over in-person visits, according to a study by the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association. Virtual and telehealth care were already preferable before the COVID-19 pandemic — now they’ve become a valuable component for patient retention.

CarePICS is a HIPAA-compliant clinical coordination tool that revolutionizes convenience and helps improve patient outcomes. Patients no longer feel worn down by the stresses of transportation and clinical settings. The option of in-home appointments saves money, avoids conflicts with everyday life and eliminates concerns about exposing an at-risk population to potential hazards.

CarePICS also simplifies a clinician’s ability to maintain ongoing relationships with patients. The healthcare technology platform:

  • Provides secure, direct communication with patients
  • Tracks wound-healing progress for quick feedback on wounds, pain and other issues
  • Enables direct ordering of wound care products to get patients their supplies sooner

How to Attract New Patients

Coordinating complex patient care between primary care physicians (PCP), specialists and care teams is made easier with the CarePICS mobile and web app. Podiatrists, vascular surgeons and skilled nurses can utilize text, image and video sharing for better outcomes. This enhanced, effective communication strengthens clinical partnerships and increases the likelihood of referrals.

Providing access to patients who are local, an hour away and even across the country is another benefit of the platform. CarePICS removes barriers and opens channels between patient and PCP and PCP and specialist. With the simple app, you can become a coordination hub for a high-tech patient care team.

For More Information

Keep patients satisfied and engaged by improving the outcomes and growing a professional network to support their healthcare journeys. Visit our website to learn more about the CarePICS virtual care platform.

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

Dr. Chris Bromley explains the ROI of CarePICS technology

How Providers Gain Telehealth ROI

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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.

Patient-telehealth

Helping Patients Remotely — Leveraging Telehealth Codes

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Telemedicine and telehealth services have evolved into an innovative option for healthcare. But can providers expect to receive robust reimbursements from insurance and Medicare similar to in-person services?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offered guidance to broaden access to telemedicine and telehealth in the Proposed Physician Fee Schedule published in August 2020. These new rules allow doctors and practitioners to meet the direct supervision requirement of “incident-to-billing” through remote supervision.

Now you can use these rules to achieve your practice growth goals. CarePICS simplifies the telehealth workflow for your practice and tracks those activities. Read below for resources to support the successful adoption of telehealth, including policy changes and advice for how to code and bill for remote management of patients.

CMS Healthcare Policy Changes

Both commercial payors and CMS have dragged their heels in the past over formal policy decisions on telemedicine. Consequently, many healthcare providers have been hesitant to invest the time, money and resources into telehealth due to concerns over reimbursement.

The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), however, has cleared up misconceptions and prioritized urgent shifts in access to healthcare. Many states require commercial payors to reimburse for telemedicine while payors in states without reimbursement laws often cover telemedicine anyway. After a year of wearing masks and social distancing, “almost three-quarters of Americans surveyed said the pandemic has made them more eager to try virtual care,” says Harvard Health Publishing.

COVID-19 has revealed the potential of telehealth. According to the American College of Cardiology, “The rule finalizes policy changes to maintain certain elements of the various telehealth flexibilities authorized on a temporary basis during the COVID-19 PHE, with some proposals made permanently.” The CMS policy ensures that physicians can deliver expedient healthcare, second opinions from diverse voices and a full continuum of care for patients all across the country.

What Codes to Use for Telehealth Reimbursement

Telehealth appointments and virtual consultations come in many forms — telephone, video chat, text messaging, email, patient portals. CarePICS can keep you connected with your peripheral artery disease, critical limb ischemia and wound care patients and provide the best possible care.

Use these telehealth and virtual health procedure codes as you work with patients and other providers, using secure CarePICS technology. (Values are CMS par values.)

  • G0406-G0408: Follow-up inpatient consults, $39.85-$105.38, 13-35 minutes
  • G0425-G0427: Telehealth consults, ER, inpatient, $102.13-$205.50, 30-70 minutes
  • G2010: Patient report for established patient, $12.12, patient shares captured video or images
  • G2012: Remote check-in for established patient, $14.81, provider call to check patient
  • 99201-99205: New patient office visit, $45.79-$210.45, 10-60 minutes
  • 99211-99215: Established patient office visit, $22.70-$146.87, 5-40 minutes
  • 99451: Virtual consult given, $37.10, 5 minutes
  • 99452: Virtual consult requested, $37.10, 5 minutes
  • 99446-99449: Virtual consult given over 5 minutes, $18.58-$74.50, 10-31+ minutes

For more information

2021 will be a year of flux for the healthcare industry. CarePICS’ team of community-minded experts are committed to providing a curated and reliable list of telehealth and virtual health procedure codes. Visit our website to see how we’re creating a smart way to manage patients with wounds and vascular disease 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.