Telegraph In
Connect with PDRx & the telehealth community
Services
Board Certified physicians are available in our PhoneDOCTORx Medical Call Centers to serve as the "covering physician" for a patient's primary care physician.
Monday-Friday: 5PM-11PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10AM-7PM
- Review of new admissions & readmissions orders not yet approved by the PCP
- Provide limited supply of prescriptions for pain and other medications
- Consult on all non-urgent, urgent and emergent cases from the ECF
- Family consultations
- Staff education
PhoneDOCTORx currently serves over 12 Extended Care Facilities in Massachusetts and is strongly endorsed by Senior Whole Health, a leading SCO, as well as HealthBridge Management. The ECF Program addresses the challenges and limitations faced by the current healthcare model—including overburdened physicians and as a result the ECF and patients' lack of timely access to Board Certified physicians.
Challenges
- Limited access to physician consultation during after-hours and weekends
- Limited knowledge of patient by covering physician resulting in blind diagnoses
- Limited supply of primary care physicians (PCPs)
- Avoidable transfers to the ED and hospital
- Avoidable admissions & readmissions
Solutions
- Real-time audio and/or video access to Board Certified physicians during after-hours
- Immediate consultation for non-urgent, urgent and emergent issues
- Decrease burden on PCPs during after-hours and weekends
- Immediate physician interactions reduce avoidable transfers to the ED and improves stabilization of ECF patient census
Benefits
- Provide higher level of acuity of services at ECFs
- Reduction in avoidable ED and hospital transfers
- Address pain and behavioral issues immediately
- Visualization of patients yields more informed decisions
- Inclusion in hospitals' preferred SNF provider network due to enhanced services
- Decrease costs to overall
To discuss Wound Care, Teleneurology or Telepsychiatry Consultations,
connect with us by email: sshen@phonedoctorx.com
Case Study
Patient is a 65 year old male with a recent coronary artery bypass graft operation and was recovering at a skilled nursing facility. The PDRx physician was contacted with concern for a post-operative wound infection on the sternum. Using the high definition camera on the PDRx telemedicine cart, the visualization suggested that the wound was in fact, not infected but did demonstrate some post-operative wound changes with granulation tissue. The patient did not have a fever and through a review of system, did not complain of systems concerning for an infection. The wound was observed at the nursing home with follow up by the surgeon and primary care physician.
"With telemedicine technology, we can give our residents instantaneous access to a physician. Plain and simple, this has enhanced our quality of care."
Elaine Tetreault
Director of Nurses at New Bedford Healthcare Center
