Tackling the Challenge of Integrating Telehealth Seamlessly into the EHR

Ophir Lotan from telemedicine company TytoCare walks readers through this key task now that virtual care has gone mainstream because of COVID-19.

If a health system has an efficient asynchronous telehealth workflow, the physician should be able to access the vital signs the patient recorded directly from the EHR even before the appointment occurs. For synchronous telehealth appointments, when the EHR integration is significant, it's important that the physician can launch the live visit from the EHR dashboard directly into the video conference, ensuring this is an integral part of the workflow and allowing the physician to view and add clinical data to the patient's record. Telehealth-EHR integration creates a more fluid, integrated experience for physicians by allowing them to conduct the remote visit and access patient records in parallel, saving them time and increasing usability. Q. What role do usability and ease of access of virtual care for both patients and providers play when integrating telehealth with an EHR? Patients get better quality of care from a virtual appointment that has all their information already integrated and physicians can save time and have a better user experience while conducting those telehealth visits. Telehealth solutions that fail to integrate or provide a streamlined EHR option will fall behind as physicians and patients increasingly choose solutions with high usability and ease of access that integrate seamlessly with the EHR.