LifeBridge Health, a leading healthcare provider based in Owings Mills, Maryland, recently tackled two major challenges in the realm of telemedicine: enhancing operational efficiency and increasing patient adoption of virtual care services.
THE CHALLENGE
Dr. Jonathan Thierman, President and CEO of ExpressCare and Children’s Urgent Care at LifeBridge Health, spearheaded the establishment of the LifeBridge Health Virtual Health Center. Drawing from this experience, he recognized the importance of streamlining telemedicine operations to make it more convenient for patients to embrace this innovative healthcare approach.
Despite these efforts, Dr. Thierman observed a low utilization of telemedicine services in the urgent care setting, coupled with extended wait times for patients. Additionally, the health system encountered various technical hurdles while exploring different telehealth platforms, each offering diverse features. Ultimately, they identified seamless integration with patient registration and provider workflows as crucial capabilities for their telemedicine platform.
PROPOSAL
“We operate a highly efficient network of nearly 35 urgent care centers across Maryland,” Dr. Thierman stated. “Our key to efficiency lies in standardization, ensuring consistency in all aspects of our operations across locations.”
To address the inefficiency of integrating telemedicine visits into in-person workflows, LifeBridge Health established a dedicated “telemedicine site” within their network. This specialized center operates independently, with its own staffing, schedules, and processes mirroring those of physical centers. By consolidating telemedicine workflows in this manner, the health system aimed to eliminate bottlenecks, enhance patient throughput, and boost telemedicine adoption rates.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
The establishment of the telemedicine site followed a meticulous process similar to setting up new physical locations. The organization hired new staff and providers, implemented streamlined business operations, and aligned workflow patterns to ensure consistency with existing centers. By clearly designating “Telemedicine” as a distinct location on their website and scheduling platforms, patients could easily opt for virtual visits over in-person appointments.
RESULTS
The launch of the virtual urgent care center led to a significant surge in telemedicine patient volume, doubling initially and tripling within months. Concurrently, LifeBridge Health managed to reduce wait times drastically, enabling providers to see nearly twice as many virtual patients compared to in-person visits. This resulted in exceptional patient satisfaction scores, with ongoing growth in patient volumes while maintaining high throughput and satisfaction metrics.
Looking ahead, Dr. Thierman emphasized the importance of delivering a superior telemedicine experience and embracing the future of urgent care encompassing virtual encounters. Despite lower revenue per telemedicine visit compared to in-person visits, the transition to the virtual center model yielded strong margins due to reduced overhead costs and increased patient throughput.
In conclusion, LifeBridge Health’s innovative approach to telemedicine not only addressed operational challenges but also paved the way for a more efficient and patient-centric healthcare delivery model. By focusing on providing top-notch virtual care services, the organization continues to lead the way in transforming the healthcare landscape.
