e-Visit Submits IPO Prospectus Amid Expansion of Virtual Care Services

What is an e-visit?
The broad definition of e-visit (Electronic-visit) isAn Online Healthcare Information Exchange Platform, on this platform, healthcare providers can offer medical advice to patients. Initially, healthcare providers and patients communicated via secure email or text messages; with the development of the electronic communications industry, both parties can now interact through secure web portals.

Typically, a standard e-visit involves patients submitting medical inquiries, after which online physicians provide medical consultations or care services, such as prescribing medications or delivering online treatments. Patients are only required to complete an online form or electronic questionnaire detailing their symptoms, based on which the provider will make a diagnosis and determine a treatment plan.

The convenience and cost-effectiveness of e-visits have enhanced the capacity to deliver patient care, particularly for individuals with minor conditions such as cough, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, sinus issues, or urinary problems. It is important to note that e-visits are suitable only for non-urgent illnesses and injuries; for more serious conditions, patients should still consult their primary care physician in person or call 911 for emergency assistance.

e-visit fees
Nowadays,The fee range for e-visits is $25–$50.，Meanwhile, some large institutions or organizations charge users an annual fee.. Since most e-visits include a Level 3 office visit, practice has shown that managing patient care online is more cost-effective and economical than bringing patients into the office. Currently, if an insurance company provides billing and claims services to users, e-visits adopt a single E&M coding method; if the insurance company’s services do not cover e-visits, the e-visit provider will offer users secure, direct credit card transaction services.

e-Visit Portal
Interfaces that provide online services are key to the success of communication tools. The increasing maturity of outpatient electronic medical record systems, combined with robust network infrastructure, is essential for ensuring patient loyalty and satisfaction during interactions with healthcare providers. As more daily activities—such as banking, media consumption, and shopping—are conducted through online transactions, people increasingly expect to receive healthcare services online. Utilizing patient portals to communicate with patients and access their medical records, including health history, allergy history, past medical history, and current medications, is critical to delivering online healthcare services.

Current Status of E-visit Development
Research on e-visits and their feasibility in primary care settings has encountered obstacles; however, recent pilots within the Mayo Clinic Health System have highlighted the efficiency advantages of e-visits in reducing costs and improving patient satisfaction, which are closely tied to the methods used for collecting patient information.

Simple, unstructured information transmitted from patients to service providers requires multiple communication systems, and the continuity of such information is limited. By leveraging a logic-branching engine based on the patient’s “chief complaint,” providers can identify the user’s primary concerns and deliver appropriate care services. Currently, this engine interface is available through the software provider Instant Medical History and has been adopted by many web portals.

E-visits can also assist patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, depression, and hypertension, in managing their diseases. Furthermore, e-visits are tracked within electronic health record (EHR) systems, thereby enabling clinicians to provide more consistent and effective treatment, which ultimately benefits patients. As the population grows and the demand for clinical care continues to rise, e-visits will play an increasingly significant role in daily life.

Since April 2009, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) health system has facilitated 4,000 e-visits. More importantly, it has secured reimbursement for this electronic service from four insurance providers. The volume of e-visits increased by 400% between August 2008 and May 2010, reaching 200 visits per month by October 2010. This initiative, closely integrated with UPMC’s patient portal and personal health records, is known as HealthTrak.
Daniel Martich, a staff member at UPMC, believes that the most significant innovation of the e-visit program is the development of a framework for charging service fees. How to involve traditional insurance companies in the email correspondence between doctors and patients and have them pay for online services remains a challenge.

Limitations of e-visits
Online doctors cannot fully replace formal, in-person primary care physicians. For patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart failure, e-visit physicians can help address certain issues related to these diseases, but regular follow-up with the patient’s usual physician remains necessary. Additionally, e-visit physicians are not authorized to prescribe controlled substances for pain or anxiety disorders. While this mode of online communication is widely accepted by patients, it has not been broadly adopted by healthcare providers, primarily due to the following reasons:1. Lack of secure and effective communication methods integrated with electronic medical record (EMR) systems; 2. Online consultations by patients may place excessive pressure on online physicians; 3. Absence of a unified insurance reimbursement mechanism.

By Liu Nan | Edited by Mo Renying