When’s the last time you rode in an ambulance? Whether you were the patient or a family member, it probably drove home the importance of not just immediate care but advanced care. People don’t end up in an ambulance for a sprained toe. Paramedics save lives. But many patients need more than a paramedic or an emergency medical technician (EMT) – their condition might require a cardiologist, neurologist, intensivist or trauma surgeon.
That’s where telemedicine comes in to connect patients in crisis to the most advanced expertise possible.
Compared to better known virtual specialties like telestroke, telepsych or teledermatology, many people aren’t quite as familiar with teleparamedicine. But it’s changing the world of emergency medicine for four chief reasons:
Healthcare players who watch reimbursement policies have noticed increasing acceptance of teleparamedicine – especially in Medicare’s ET3 (emergency triage treat and transport) model. Intended to “provide greater flexibility to ambulance care teams to address emergency health care needs of Medicare beneficiaries following a 911 call,” ET3 puts telemedicine firmly in the ambulance and paramedic world as a reimbursable event.
Part of the ET3 model means crews, ambulance suppliers and providers can now transport patients to an ED, primary care provider (PCP) or urgent care. Why is this noteworthy? In part it’s because Medicare regulations have previously only reimbursed for emergency ground ambulance services when the patients were sent to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities or dialysis centers. That’s routed most Medicare patients to one of these facilities even when a lower-acuity destination would be more appropriate and more cost-effective. To assist with this, the ET3 model also involves a medical triage line for low-acuity 911 calls.
The third part of the model? The ability to “provide treatment in place with a qualified provider on scene with telemedicine.” Translated, that means paramedics can now virtually consult with those valuable surgeons, cardiologists and neurologists during urgent minutes when treatment does the most good.
In short, ET3’s goal is to improve patient outcomes and lower costs by reducing avoidable transports to the ED – and unnecessary hospitalizations. The alternative destinations give crews and patients more choices, while the telemedicine angle brings the right care to Medicare patients at the right time and the right place.
Currently ET3 is a Medicare reimbursement model – but Medicaid agencies and commercials payers are being encouraged to adopt it as well.
Because ambulance rides are rare for most people, it can be hard to grasp the financial and clinical magnitude of teleparamedicine’s benefits. So here’s an example in just one Nevada county.
The medical transport company in question provides ground ambulance services in response to roughly 70,000 requests each year – roughly 194 calls a day. Their air ambulance services transport an average of 1,500 patients each year. They use telemedicine in partnership with a leading Nevada health system that includes hospitals, urgent care and imaging centers, lab services and primary and specialty care practices. This partnership lets them use virtual care to triage their patients appropriately and connect them to the right providers. Both companies save a staggering sum in healthcare costs for payers, facilities and patients. Meanwhile, patients who may live in remote desert communities are receiving immediate, expert care when they need it most – and avoid being hospitalized when it really isn’t necessary.
Dire medical events and ambulance rides are often the most intense hours of a patient’s life. As a rare healthcare innovation that can reach across every age group and clinical discipline, teleparamedicine offers a quantum leap in emergency medicine – and life-saving power and potential.[nectar_cta btn_style=”see-through” heading_tag=”h6″ text_color=”#4d98ce” button_color=”default” link_type=”regular” alignment=”left” alignment_tablet=”default” alignment_phone=”default” display=”block” text=”Learn how your organization can expand its services through telemedicine technology and expanded reimbursement programs.” link_text=”Contact Us” url=”http://globalmed.com/schedule-a-demo/”][image_with_animation image_url=”7180″ animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”]