Clicking send on Secure-Mail messages to patients and other practitioners can qualify for compensation.
Many patient concerns can be appropriately addressed using text based communications. In fact, over 80% of the telehealth services conducted by physicians at Kaiser Permanente are delivered via secure messaging services like Secure-Mail.
Econsultations are easy to conduct using Secure-Mail when all you need is an expert opinion for a colleague. Clinicians rate Secure-Mail as the fastest way to communicate with other healthcare professionals. There isn’t the delay experienced with mail, and it doesn’t require the multiple attempts to connect that phone calls often do.
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To qualify for these codes, communication must be conducted via an OIPC approved communication service that meets CPSA guidelines, and you must file an amendment for your PIA that describes your intended use of the service. Brightsquid Secure-Mail meets CPSA guidelines and is accepted for the transmission of patient information under the Health Information act by the OIPC.
On average, clinics that use secure email with patients receive five patient initiated messages each day and send six. Typically, patient messages are clinically relevant, and 63% of them require a provider clinical assessment or decision.
The average time for a physician to respond to a patient's question via secure email is 2.3 minutes. The length of a patient message does not influence the length of the response. In Canada, the average face-to-face consultation lasts just over 15 minutes. That means 6 patient concerns can be addressed using Secure-Mail in the time it takes to see one patient (for a total billing of $120).
Category: V Visit
Base Rate: $20.00
Claim this code for medically necessary advice or follow up for your patients that can be managed remotely. It can be billed up to 14 times per week per physician (once per patient) but not claimed within 24 hours of an office visit for the same patient.
See Full DetailsCategory: V Visit (not counted toward cap)
Base Rate: $20.00
This code can be claimed during the COVID-19 pandemic for providing advice via telephone, secure email, and videoconference. Can be claimed for providing advice, providing a new prescription, or prescription renewal.
See full details1. Delivering advice to a patient that has a question about side effects from medication.
2. Responding to patient follow up questions after a diagnosis.
3. Changing a treatment plan following lab results.
4. Responding to a patient question about a new concern that can be managed appropriately using secure messaging.
Econsultations with other physicians conducted over Brightsquid SEcure-Mail to acquire expert opinions about a patient concern qualify for these codes when both providers use the service.
This service is often used in place of referrals, saving staff time and effort while accelerating patient treatment by getting specialist opinions without necessarily requiring a scheduled office visit.
Category: V Visit
Base Rate: $33.28
The purpose of the communication must be to seek advice from a physician more experienced in treating the patient condition. This service may not be claimed for transfer of care alone.
see full detailsCategory: V Visit
Base Rate: $68.65
Claim this code when you have provided an opinion and recommendations for patient treatment to a requesting physician after reviewing pertinent family/patient history, history of the presenting complaint as well as laboratory and other data indicated.
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