Telehealth is top of mind as Vanderbilt Health expands its capabilities to provide remote care to patients in hopes of reducing their exposure to the coronavirus causing COVID-19. We’ve been hard at work ramping up the capabilities of our patient portal, My Health at Vanderbilt, an online tool that allows patients to consult with their doctors via telehealth for both new and existing appointments. Here are four strategies to encourage your employees to sign up for this free, easy-to-use tool:
1. Promote its benefits: Transitioning office visits to My Health at Vanderbilt appointments offers several advantages. A telehealth visit eliminates potential exposure to and transmission of COVID-19—critical during this time of social distancing and encouraged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And by making it possible for a patient to instantly connect to a trusted physician or nurse practitioner via video, it also maintains the wellness and preventative health visits that remain critical to your employees’ health and safety.
2. Explain any potential cost savings: Talk to your HR team and insurance consultant about the cost of a telehealth visit vs. an in-person visit. According to a 2019 survey conducted by Jefferson Health published in HealthLeaders, some patients saw a net cost savings of $19 to $121 with a telemedicine visit compared to an on-demand visit. “The primary source of the generated savings is from avoidance of the emergency department, as this is by far the most expensive of the alternative care options provided," the researchers wrote.
3. Amplify its convenience: Telehealth visits not only build efficiency for employees on the day of an appointment—cutting out drive time and wait time—but the system also saves them time preparing for a visit and reviewing its results. That’s because My Health at Vanderbilt can be used to message providers, schedule appointments, view medical records and more. These time-and labor-saving practices for individual employees also add to your organization’s efficiency and overall morale.
4. Be an early adopter and champion of the technology: Schedule a telehealth appointment for yourself or another member of the team. Walk your employees through the process, explaining what you found helpful and ways to avoid any slowdowns. When your employees see how easy the process can be, they’ll be more likely to want to sign up, too. (Here's a firsthand, step-by-step account of a My Health at Vanderbilt appointment.)
“It is important for employers to keep employees advised as to the benefits that they have available that can assist them with making health decisions," said Bobbi Kloss, director of human capital management services at Benefit Advisors Network (BAN), in a March 20, 2020, article for the Society for Human Resource Management. “Telehealth programs can assist by providing clarity to the situation and aid the employee with determining their next steps.”
Here’s a handy PDF with detailed directions on how to get started with My Health at Vanderbilt, and a video to make it even easier. The telehealth platform is free and easily accessed through the My Health at Vanderbilt website or the My Health at Vanderbilt mobile app available on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
