Measuring Practice Success and Patient Care:
eConsults Deliver Patient Cost Savings
Eric Urquiza, Sr. Vice President of Operations & Client Experience at AristaMD
Visiting a specialist is expensive. And not visiting the specialist can be catastrophic for the patient. eConsults deliver patient cost savings. The patient saves at least $120 per avoided referral. $40 per visit over the 3 visits typically needed to receive a diagnosis and treatment.
Primary care accounts for only 5% of total healthcare costs. Specialty care contributes to 16.5% of healthcare costs. Treatment in the primary care setting avoids copays and care delays that increase costs.
The trick is to provide the right amount of specialty care in the right setting.
Healthcare Finance News reports that $200 billion, or 25% of our healthcare costs, are for unnecessary tests and treatments. This figure doesn’t include unnecessary emergency room visits, multiple visits to your clinic because a patient can’t get an appointment quickly or increased cost of care due to untreated conditions.
Let’s eliminate these unnecessary costs by consulting with an eConsult specialist to determine exactly what tests are needed and reduce duplicate tests at the ER or specialist’s office by avoiding these high-cost care settings whenever possible.
Technology in Healthcare Practices offers Clinical, Quality and Patient Cost Savings
Through population health solutions, artificial intelligence, and newly expanded telehealth benefits and offerings, healthcare stakeholders are better able to achieve triple-aim goals with increased access to care, reduced readmissions and transfers, improved care coordination, and more efficient clinical workflows. The adoption of new telehealth technology is playing an increasingly vital role in the future of healthcare practices.
- According to the Certification Commission of Healthcare Information Technology, it is estimated that about 50 percent of healthcare finances are wasted due to inefficient processes.
- Empowering providers with new communications tools can lead to increased efficiency and improved care coordination at a lower cost.
- New advances in care delivery models such as eConsults allow providers to have immediate access to the necessary information to treat their patients without the constraints of physical location. eConsults allow providers to connect with specialists to collaborate on treatment plans, all within the primary care setting.
Eric Urquiza
Sr. Vice President of Operations & Client Experience at AristaMD
Eric has 20 years of experience driving transformational healthcare IT programs, advancing patient care, improving access and outcomes for patients through technological solutions. He has been successful in leading many strategic client relationships and increasing provider adoption of telehealth solutions, ultimately leading to strong efficacy for underserved populations throughout the country. Eric holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Redlands.