Register for "Patient in a Pocket" at covidtelemedicine.com.
When: Thursday, March 26, 2020, 7 am – 8 am EST
Friday, March 27, 2020, 12 pm – 1 pm EST

Responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, the White House has announced temporary changes allowing doctors to be paid for most telehealth patient appointments, as well as easing long-standing restrictions on management and sharing of health information online.

The historic shift is designed to widen online healthcare access from a tiny portion of the population to the general public.

To accelerate public access to online healthcare, Denver-based Vanguard Communications – a healthcare digital communications and management consulting firm – is offering the Patient in a Pocket" webinar to physicians on how to choose the best app and online device, pros and cons of each app, how to capture and chart patient interactions, and legal considerations.

The name for the classes comes from the notion that anyone with a smartphone in his or her pocket can now make an easy connection with a doctor or nurse via the internet – for everyone's improved safety, says Ron Harman King, Vanguard CEO. 

"These developments lend quite a different meaning to 'the doctor will see you now,'" King says. "Remote doctoring eliminates the risk of person-to-person disease transmission and potentially allows healthcare providers to care for more patients in the working day."

Historically, Medicare benefits – which guide how most healthcare insurers pay doctors in general – covered online doctor appointments only for patients in rural areas without a nearby medical facility and with individual established physician relationships.

Under the new policy, the federal government will not only pay doctors for the vast majority of online appointments, but will also waive some sanctions and penalties under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which restricts where and how a patient's health information can be shared digitally.

The "Patient in a Pocket" webinar will be taught by Vanguard Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Neil Baum of New Orleans, HIPAA-specialist attorney Anjali Dooley of St. Louis, and Vanguard Technical Director Jonathan Stanley.

Attendees have a choice of dates and times, and registration and attendance are free.

Register for the free "Patient in a Pocket" webinar at covidtelemedicine.com.