**Kim, Marilyn and the team at AAC have graciously provided documents to help navigate how to build a video as well as vital information on billing codes and an updated privacy agreement that will cover possible telehealth areas in your practice.
Recap: Telehealth
This week our Nuherbs Practice Building web seminar topic was Telehealth and its role in our post pandemic reality. Our panelists were Marilyn Allen from the American Acupuncture Council and Kim Neumann, a licensed acupuncturist and founder of All Natural Agency. They discussed insurance and HIPPA compliance in the context of telemedicine, and provided some insights on marketing your business through this growing online medium.
Thank you to those who attended this, our second seminar. Look for upcoming information on future Nuherbs seminars to help build your TCM health care practice.
Here are the results of our Telehealth polls:
- 85% of our polling population were offering telemedicine to patients
- Of those who offered telehealth, 63% of you were HIPPA compliant
- 76% of you polled were offering some form of virtual health through online video content, virtual consults or the like.
Takeaways from Marilyn:
- First thing to do when considering telehealth with your patients is to determine what your state defines is within your scope of practice, since every state can define this differently.
- Check your own privacy agreement with your patients to make sure they have agreed to have you call to contact, leave voicemails, etc.
- Stay HIPPA compliant with Zoom Business, Skype Healthcare or other secure services that protect patient information.
- Keep detailed records! (e.g. timestamp the call, patient history, diagnosis, counseling, treatment plan, etc) This will be important for audits or billing.
- Tips to help stay relevant:
- Let people get to know you! Update your bio and CV (publications, work experience, etc) with relevant information for who you are today.
- Send “prescription pads" for acupuncture to different doctors in your area - doctors do not typically recommend anything without a referra.l
- Call to just check-in and see how your people are doing; patient care doesn’t stop at the end of an acupuncture needle or herb. Give them specific ideas of what you can provide, such as: qigong/taichi exercises, breathing techniques, acupressure points, nutritional advice to make small tweaks to improve quality of life.
- Become members of your state professional association! They are the people who are fighting for your right to practice.
- Veteran health - millions of veterans are in dire need of our services, and will pay through government contracts with Tri-Care.
Takeaways from Kim:
- Video is highly encouraged as means of passive communication – many people tend to remember things better through video.
- Many of us are uncomfortable with video - Loom.com can be a useful tool to help you get used to the camera. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable!
- Make efforts to have an online presence - social media, online videos, extending your practice into telehealth will help people find you.
- Two goals in using videos, social media, telehealth and other tools: attract and help potential patients and other persons of interest.
- Remove barriers of entry - make content that tells your story as a practitioner and is a call to action to seek your services.
- If you were the patient, ask yourself how your practitioner can answer this question: “How can a virtual wellness visit help you?”
Kim, Marilyn and the team at AAC have graciously provided documents to help navigate how to build a video as well as vital information on billing codes and an updated privacy agreement that will cover possible telehealth areas in your practice.
BAA outlining how they are HIPPA compliant
Next week, we’ll be discussing through a Financial Guide to the Federal Stimulus Programs and how to navigate them.
