The Challenge
LifeBridge Health, based in Owings Mills, Maryland, faced two primary telemedicine challenges: improving operational efficiency and increasing patient adoption.
Dr. Jonathan Thierman’s Account
Dr. Jonathan Thierman, president and chief executive, ExpressCare and Children’s Urgent Care, at LifeBridge Health, previously had set up the LifeBridge Health Virtual Health Center. From that experience, he knew an efficient telemedicine operation would reduce friction for patients, making it easier for them to adopt the new process.
The Challenges
However, in the urgent care setting, he saw that few patients were using telemedicine, and that wait times were far too long. Beyond these primary challenges, the health system also encountered several technical obstacles. It explored multiple telehealth platforms, each offering a range of features. Ultimately, it found the most important capabilities were those that tightly integrated the platform into patient registration and provider workflows.
Proposal
"We operate a highly efficient network of nearly 35 urgent care centers across Maryland," Thierman said. "One key to our efficiency is our ‘cut-and-paste’ approach – ensuring every detail, from supplies and facility layout to workflow and staffing, is as consistent as possible across all locations.
Meeting the Challenge
For the telemedicine site, LifeBridge Health followed the same process it had used to set up new locations in the past. It hired new staff and providers and established business operations, workflow patterns, and front- and back-end processes to match those of the physical sites as closely as possible.
Results
Almost overnight, telemedicine patient volume doubled with the launch of the virtual center. Within a few months, it had tripled. At the same time, LifeBridge Health significantly reduced wait times and improved patient throughput, creating a highly efficient system with exceptional patient satisfaction, Thierman noted.
Conclusion
By consolidating telemedicine workflows into a single, specialized center, LifeBridge Health aimed to eliminate inefficiencies, improve patient throughput, and ultimately increase telemedicine adoption. The results speak for themselves: increased patient volume, reduced wait times, and improved patient satisfaction.
FAQs
Q: What were the primary telemedicine challenges faced by LifeBridge Health?
A: Improving operational efficiency and increasing patient adoption.
Q: What approach did LifeBridge Health take to set up its telemedicine site?
A: It hired new staff and providers and established business operations, workflow patterns, and front- and back-end processes to match those of the physical sites as closely as possible.
Q: What were the results of LifeBridge Health’s telemedicine initiative?
A: Almost overnight, telemedicine patient volume doubled with the launch of the virtual center. Within a few months, it had tripled. At the same time, LifeBridge Health significantly reduced wait times and improved patient throughput, creating a highly efficient system with exceptional patient satisfaction.
