ConferMED Launches Live Telehealth Solution Supporting Vulnerable Patients with Complex Health Concerns
Texas release today followed by national rollout in 2022
ConferMED, a national provider of eConsults for medically underserved patients, today launches a new, direct-to-patient telehealth intervention focused on providing specialty care to medically underserved communities.
ConferMED Live! is available today in Texas and will be offered at select practices nationwide in early 2022.
With ConferMED Live! patients can be referred by their primary care provider to connect directly with a specialist who can observe and assess the patient and discuss their medical concerns over video. Available to more than 108,000 patients at seven health care practices across Central Texas, the telehealth solution will serve those who need endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, or rheumatology specialty care.
This live, direct-to-patient telehealth program builds on ConferMED’s existing eConsult solution, further streamlining care delivery for a better and more efficient patient experience. The program will expand access to care while saving patients’ time, reducing unnecessary travel and missed work, and avoiding duplicative tests and procedures.
“At ConferMED, we are very focused on finding new and innovative ways to meet the needs of patients and providers in medically underserved communities,” said ConferMED President and Founder Daren Anderson, MD. “We are extremely excited to be partnering with Lone Star Circle of Care and St. David’s Foundation to bring this important new telehealth service to Central Texas. We understand how difficult it can be to gain access to specialists, especially for patients without insurance or those living in rural communities. Adding live telehealth enhances our ability to expand the level of care patients can receive in their homes and in their communities and represents an important new tool for primary care practices providing comprehensive, whole person care in their communities.”
This new offering builds on ConferMED’s longstanding partnership with St. David’s Foundation, one of the country’s largest health foundations.
“Lack of access to specialty care for uninsured patients creates significant barriers for both individuals and providers,” said Amy Einhorn, Senior Program Officer at St. David’s Foundation. “Using live video telehealth to connect patients with complicated health issues with a specialist is an innovative way to remove some of those barriers. This technology will improve healthcare outcomes, satisfaction, and quality of care for patients while strengthening the primary care infrastructure in Central Texas, particularly in underserved and rural areas.”
According to Tracy Angelocci, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer, Lone Star Circle of Care, “Our partnership with ConferMED enabled us to expand critical specialty care access to those who need it most, the uninsured. The streamlined process yields consult results in just two days and does not add burden to our primary care providers (PCPs). Three-quarters of our eConsults result in PCP-managed care with no further specialist intervention required, leading to cost savings, better patient care, and a strengthening of the PCP role. We are very excited to add video telemedicine to our specialty care offerings!”