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that improve communication between doctors and their patients. there is an old journalism expression that serves to be a pretty reli-
Dr. Pearl writes in his book, “Mistreated, Why We Think We’re able guide: once is a fluke, twice is coincidence, and three times is a
Getting Good Healthcare – And Why We’re Usually Wrong”, that trend. Based on the truism, we at DTS feel confident in writing that
about 50% of medical care costs go to 5% of the people. He ex- technology is here to stay for providers and patients.
plains that these individuals have multiple chronic conditions, have By utilizing this technology, and integrating this kind of value in
severe disease, and that our healthcare system missed the opportu- healthcare, Digital Telehealth Solutions can help optimize practice
nity 20 or 30 years before to actually prevent them from developing revenues while also providing Chronic Care Management to patients
those kind of diseases. and increasing care coordination.
Going from an industry in the business of providing care to one Chronic Care Management is our specialty and our Health Care
that’s geared entirely toward maximizing profits is particularly trou- Coordinators are trained to do all the necessary work to get a prac-
blesome for our senior Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries. Not only tice started with no initial investment. Digital Telehealth Solutions
do they have to deal with an excessively expensive and complicated provides the work involved in motivating patients to persist with
system but also one that is splintered and scattered. It is no secret: the necessary therapies, interventions, and then helping them to
our healthcare system is fragmented, suffering from what George achieve an ongoing, reasonable quality of life. The ongoing care is
Halvorson, CEO of the Institute for InterGroup Understanding, provided month to month and the time is documented within our
calls “clinical linkage deficiencies, evidenced by conflicting incen- platform. The process starts with identifying the patients that have
tives and lack of coordination, cost lives and fuel the unsustainable two or more chronic conditions that will last at least a year, then
spiral of US healthcare expenditures.” inviting the patients to participate. Our Healthcare Coordinators
Recognizing the problem of our healthcare industry, the govern- then build a care plan for each patient that includes and assessment
ment has introduced in the last few years a series of laws/programs of the patients’ medical, functional, and psychosocial needs, con-
to better serve doctors and patient care. In keeping with the triple sistent with the patients’ choices and values. This documentation
aim, the government is transitioning from volume based to value spans from a minimum of 20 minutes to 60 minutes of care coor-
base care. They instituted such things as MACRA, MIPS, bundle dination in which it is then provided to those Physicians enrolled
payments, and more. As we all know many doctors are not happy with our company at the end of the month. Chronic Care Manage-
with these ideas. Recognizing this, the government recently passed ment helps patients systematically monitor their progress and co-
the (C.H.R.O.N.I.C) Care Act, paving a way for greater access to ordinate with experts to identify and solve any problems they may
technology and care while reducing costs. This bipartisan act signals encounter in their plan of care treatment. As an effort to help Doc-
an important shift in the government’s recognition of the value of tors take better care of their patients a series of different CPT codes
telehealth services, like Chronic Care Management or Remote Pa- and G-codes are used by CMS for reimbursement purposes. This
tient Monitoring. As the Act offers easier access and flexibility to Chronic Care Model can be applied to a variety of different chronic
choose these services, providers offering Medicare services can now conditions, health care settings, target populations and specific
take full advantage of the new law’s ability to allow for timelier, con- DRG’s.
venient, and continuous care. By offering continuous RPM and Integration of resources and coordination of care play crucial
CCM, a provider is better able to monitor a person’s health and roles in reaching goals for enhancing community health and reduc-
trends or changes in the management of his or her condition. In ing the overall cost of care. It is to the interest of health care
addition, these Telehealth services offer more timely care to help providers to avail themselves of newer reimbursement models stem-
patients with more urgent issues as Dr. Pearl suggests. ming from the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Quality Payment
As the number of patients with chronic conditions continues to Program, Bundle Payments, and Valued-Base Care.
rise, it’s crucial that clinicians be proactive in providing more effec-
tive and appropriate care for each individual, in order to improve To learn more about DTS, and the other services we have to
outcomes and ultimately reduce costs. offer, contact us! Or visit our website at:
As a result, Digital Telehealth Solutions was created in an effort www.digitaltelehealthsolutions.com.
to keep patients healthy and out of the hospitals. We believe that
keeping Doctors informed by connecting their patients to our plat- Jorge Arango is CEO and founder of Digital Telehealth So-
form, we can help them in achieving better outcomes. lutions. Contact him at 210-332-5455.
When it comes to judging the currents of the healthcare industry,

visit us at www.bcms.org 27