Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1372822
27 Executive Briefing Telehealth cornerstone 1: Reliability Telehealth must stop being a "let's hope it connects and let's hope it's secure" experience. "We want to make the reliability of telehealth an afterthought – it can't be something we worry about," Dr. Roy Schoenberg said. "That means offering a connection between parties that's entirely predictable and then weaving healthcare logic and functionality on top of that." Converge is built to offer the best video service available on the market today, as well as the flexibility to evolve if better video capabilities come along. To ensure the reliability and stability of the telehealth in-visit experience, Amwell will leverage Twilio's video engine. In addition to robust video capabilities, Converge offers a simple, intuitive user experience that provides a seamless handoff from portals, EHRs, sites and devices. To enable this, the Converge team has created a design system called Fluid UX that is responsive to the user's environment in terms of function, visualization and interaction. Dr. Ido Schoenberg summarized, "Converge is the most comprehensive version of our Amwell platform and supports the full continuum of care, yet it's the simplest and most user-friendly system we've ever created." Telehealth cornerstone 2: Relationships The goal of telehealth is to extend and strengthen provider- patient relationships, rather than dilute them. This can only occur when telehealth blends into care settings and supports the patient and caregiver experience and their ability to connect. This is often easier said than done. "Converge strengthens from within by surfacing on mission-critical devices used by healthcare providers," said Dr. Roy Schoenberg. "For example, a clinician logged into an EHR system can find, locate and virtually walk into any place where a cart is stationed. They can use clinical apps to shorten the time-to-needle in telestroke, balance the load of a busy emergency room, or manage a patient's psychiatric challenges outside the hectic ICU or ER setting." Rather than relying solely on scheduled outpatient visits for follow-up care, providers can connect with patients via telehealth. Per Dr. Roy Schoenberg, "The telehealth dialer is another powerful tool that we've incorporated into Converge to help with follow-up visits. The provider simply enters the patient's phone number and initiates a video call with them. There are no downloads, logins, user manuals or patient training. The full Converge experience is launched by a single click on a text message." Converge's support of relationships also extends outside of care interactions across the hospital, clinic or physician's office. Payers and self-insured employers, for example, can go beyond Amwell's menu of services and access clinical offerings from other organizations that are using the same Converge telehealth operating system. Telehealth cornerstone 3: Open Innovation This year, not only did we witness an evolution in how telehealth is used, we experienced a rapid acceleration and acceptance to innovation around digital care. "As expectations and the corresponding pace of innovation rise, we must embrace a very humbling truth – our own offering will get better, faster and smarter, if we open it up to the innovation and creativity of others," said Dr. Roy Schoenberg. "Our own pace of internal innovation continues fast and furious, but it is indisputable that this technology will reach further if it rises on the collective, collaborative innovation of the many." As a result, Amwell has decided to open Converge up to others. Whether to serve their own organizations, or to offer innovation to the broader ecosystem, Converge will host and operate applications created by many. This is an important development not only for Amwell but also for the industry, as it means that health systems, health plans and all other healthcare players will be able to pick and choose from a vast array of applications to design a healthcare experience they deem most impactful. It also means that third party innovators now have a platform to extend the reach of their tools. Just as Converge offers an open architecture for third-party apps, it will also enable clinical experts, leading healthcare institutions and others to author and build digital program templates that can be used by other organizations. "We're trying to create a dream team from a collection of all-stars like artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, CRM, behavioral science and telehealth, and then get the best medical practice to play coach," said Dr. Roy Schoenberg. Conclusion With Converge, Amwell is revolutionizing telehealth and bringing it to the next level. To maximize the value for all participants, the platform is modular and ready to meet the demands of the future. "Converge allows organizations to use only what they need today, but it also allows them to add an open-ended array of possibilities as their needs evolve and new technologies emerge," Dr. Ido Schoenberg said. "The results are faster and easier deployments, an improved user experience and deeper loyalty." n Amwell is a leading telehealth platform in the United States and globally, connecting and enabling providers, insurers, patients, and innovators to deliver greater access to more affordable, higher quality care. Amwell believes that digital care delivery will transform healthcare. The Company offers a single, comprehensive platform to support all telehealth needs from urgent to acute and post-acute care, as well as chronic care management and healthy living. With over a decade of experience, Amwell powers telehealth solutions for over 2,000 hospitals and 55 health plan partners with over 36,000 employers, covering over 80 million lives. For more information please visit www.amwell.com.