Column: Virtual health care, at your service

Courtesy photo

Write a Comment

By William Corbett, Md

If you have ever suffered with conjunctivitis, you know the symptoms are hard to miss. Itchy, red and crusty eyes are tell-tale symptoms of the common and infectious illness. While not an emergency, it is important to get treatment as soon as possible, even when your doctor’s office is closed, and even better, from the comfort of your own home. At UMass Memorial Health Care, we are using technology to make the delivery of health care faster, safer, more accessible and affordable.

The latest innovation under development is a groundbreaking online diagnosis and treatment service called eVisit that will be introduced as a pilot program to connect a group of UMass Memorial patients with UMass Memorial clinicians for prompt, high-quality virtual care for common health concerns such as colds and flu, sinus infections, female bladder infections and yes, conjunctivitis. To use the tool all you will need is a web-enabled device such as a computer, tablet or smart phone. If all goes well, we plan to offer the service more broadly in 2016.

The eVisit service is part of UMass Memorial’s longstanding commitment to improve patient care through innovative technology. In 2007, UMass Memorial Medical Center was the first hospital in the state to implement a novel eICU system that augments bedside care by remotely monitoring critically ill patients – adding an important layer of safety that yields better outcomes. Today, our eICU program supports adult patients in 14 intensive care units at seven hospitals across the state.

Using the latest in teleconferencing technology, our Telestroke Program enables Medical Center neurologists with stroke care expertise to remotely examine, diagnose and manage stroke patients at our affiliated community hospitals – so potentially life-saving treatment can begin more quickly. We are also developing telemedicine services in general neurology and gastroenterology.

Now through a partnership with Minneapolis-based Zipnosis, UMass Memorial plans to offer the eVisit tool, giving users convenient online access to medical care in minutes.

Users will start their virtual medical visit by signing into the secure eVisit website and completing an online interview. Using the latest evidence-based medical guidelines to elicit appropriate information, this process typically takes less than five minutes to complete.

The user’s medical history and symptoms will be instantly sent to a UMass Memorial provider for review. During normal operating hours the user will be notified within an hour via text or email that the treatment plan is available for viewing in the online eVisit account. The eVisit will remain available in the user’s secure account for future reference and a visit summary will be generated for the UMass Memorial medical record. If the treatment plan includes a prescription medication, the prescription can be sent electronically to the pharmacy of choice.

If a condition is not suitable for virtual care, eVisit is designed to triage the user to the appropriate level of care, either by making an appointment with the primary provider, or referring the user to a nearby urgent care center or emergency department.

The eVisit service will be accessible 24 hours a day, with provider diagnosis and treatment available from 7 am to 10 pm daily. After-hours requests will receive priority response the following morning.

The basis of eVisits’ success – and optimal patient care – is UMass Memorial’s commitment to building an integrated health care delivery system that provides comprehensive, coordinated care across all medical settings. All eVisit records will become part of the UMass Memorial medical record, so everyone involved in a patient’s care is on the same up-to-date page when it comes to a patient’s health history. This not only saves time but also reduces errors such as duplicate prescriptions or drug interactions – and enhances patient safety.

At the heart of UMass Memorial’s development of the eVisit system is the concept of meeting people where they are – giving patients what they need, when they need it. There are certain health concerns that simply do not require the time and expense of an in-person hospital or doctor visit. For patients who are comfortable with the concept of virtual health care, eVisit promises to be just what the doctor ordered.

Dr. William Corbett is senior vice president, community practices, at UMass Memorial Medical Group and clinical associate professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School.