Telehealth provider American Well announced today that its telehealth app has joined the Epic App Orchard Marketplace, enabling providers to embed video visits into their existing clinical workflows and launch an American Well-powered video consultation from the patient chart with one click. The announcement is a critical milestone for American Well as it expands acute care telehealth opportunity for Epic EHR clients that offers a streamlined and collaborative platform for virtual care
Growing Importance of Telehealth EHR Integration
Telehealth integration with electronic medical records is more critical than ever, as physician adoption of telehealth has increased significantly in the past three years. According to American Well’s 2019 Physician Survey, a total of 22 percent of physicians have used telehealth to see patients, up 340 percent from 2015 when only 5 percent of physicians reported having ever used telehealth. This shift in readiness is driven by physicians’ desire to improve patient access to care, improve patient outcomes and attract and retain patients.
Epic App Orchard Marketplace Integration Benefits
For American Well, the Epic App Orchard marketplace integration of its telehealth app will enable providers to easily start video calls directly from the patient chart without having to change their workflow or download separate applications. Users will be able to:
– Join a video room in a patient context (using webRTC, iOS/Android and standards-based video endpoints)
– Leverage far end camera control and fleet monitoring with American Well’s telemedicine carts
– Enable digital collaboration with non-Epic facilities
– Access Medical Images (PACS) to treat stroke patients
– Take advantage of American Well’s award-winning patient engagement services
“As we uncovered in our latest physician survey, telehealth is being adopted at lightning speed1,” said Mike Baird, president of customer solutions at American Well. “Providers want access to integrated platforms designed for all types of virtual care. With App Orchard, we can provide their users with telehealth opportunities within their existing workflows, supporting the success of virtual care programs for both the provider and the patient alike.”
