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New eVisits technology increases patient access to physicians

Ron’s persistent cough showed no apparent signs of letting up. At the same time, the tightness in his chest was becoming a bit more painful. Ron, a successful business owner whose calendar typically is jammed with meetings and appointments, suspected that he might have a mild case of bronchitis. He knew it was time to get in touch with his doctor, but keeping the appointment was going to be problematic given his hectic schedule.

Jennifer was feeling a bit run down. She had a stuffy nose with a headache, and was starting to experience achiness in her muscles. But with two children at home and the duties of a part-time job, finding the time to see her primary care physician to determine if she was coming down with influenza or some other illness was going to be difficult.

For busy individuals like Ron and Jennifer, UPMC has begun to offer eVisit, technology to provide patients with an online connection to their physicians to handle common nonurgent medical matters and ailments.

Through eVisit, a structured, online medical interview or consultation where a patient engages with his or her provider, eligible patients can have questions answered, conditions analyzed, and prescriptions written without leaving home. The technology eliminates the hassle of scheduling a doctor appointment and missing work, or making arrangements for child care in order to drive to a physician’s office.

The key to the program is a secure patient website. By using the portal, patients can describe their conditions, answer questions about symptoms or a medical complaint, and receive a timely response from their primary care providers.

“To date, my patients have welcomed eVisits. I can get back to them with an accurate diagnosis and instructions to treat it and save them the time and trouble of driving into the office to see me,” says Grant Shevchik, MD, whose practice, Partners in Health–UPMC in Westmoreland County, is among the first physician sites to use eVisits.

“The technology also enhances my efficiency. I can address the needs of more patients and get them the help they need when they need it for routine medical matters and save them the time and expense of scheduling an office appointment or going to a clinic or emergency department,” Dr. Shevchik says.

The eVisit technology guides the patient through a series of questions and follows evidence-based guidelines to assist the patient in providing details about his or her symptoms. A diagnosis then is developed and reviewed by the physician, who can ask additional questions, make recommendations for follow-up treatment, and send a prescription to the patient’s preferred pharmacy if necessary.

UPMC Health Plan is the first health insurer in western Pennsylvania to provide coverage for online visits with physicians for its members. UPMC Health Plan covers an eVisit as it would a regular physician visit. Patients do have a copayment.

A limited number of physician practices currently offer eVisit. Eligible UPMC Health Plan members who want to use eVisit first must register as a UPMC HealthTrak user by visiting the Health Trak website. Once your request is submitted, an access code will be sent to you through the U.S. mail.

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