UPMC Health Plan has unveiled UPMC AnywhereCare, a telemedicine platform that allows patients to receive care from UPMC professionals at any time and from any location.
AnywhereCare isn’t only for UPMC Health Plan members — patients throughout the state of Pennsylvania can use it. By using AnywhereCare, patients can be treated for a variety of nonemergency conditions, according to a press release.
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AnywhereCare is whitelabeled under UPMC, meaning its branding is consistent with that of UPMC. But American Well is UPMC’s strategic partner and provides the technology for AnywhereCare.
Despite the recent launch, telecare isn’t a new development at UPMC by any means. Natasa Sokolovich, executive director of telehealth at UPMC, told MedCity UPMC has been offering telemedicine virtual visits since 2007.
UPMC’s commitment to telecare has only increased since then. In a phone interview, Sokolovich said UPMC initially launched AnywhereCare in November 2013 as an asynchronous platform. “We had great success with that model but had additional growth and wishlist items that we decided would best be served by partnering with an outside vendor,” she said.
Three years later, UPMC launched AnywhereCare’s synchronous mobile capability, equipping patients with the ability to have visits using either a desktop computer or the AnywhereCare app.
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After that soft launch in November 2016, UPMC Health Plan has now made a public announcement about AnywhereCare.
Kim Jacobs, UPMC Health Plan’s vice president of strategic business development and consumer innovation, told MedCity about half of AnywhereCare users utilize the web version while the other 50 percent use the app version. “I think over time, that will change and we’ll see more app adoption,” Jacobs said in a phone interview.
Increased app adoption isn’t the only thing that will change. UPMC hopes to grow AnywhereCare even more. “We’re working with our partners to create seamless scheduled visits,” Jacobs said. “Eventually the consumer will want to have a virtual visit with their primary care physician. We have to integrate this new technology with that workflow that exists in a primary care office.” He also noted the potential opportunity for physicians to conduct visits with patients post-discharge.
But for right now, AnywhereCare is already having an impact on consumers. For one, it cuts down on their wait time — the average wait time for seeing a physician via AnywhereCare is slightly more than six-and-a-half minutes. Fiscally speaking, an AnywhereCare visit costs patients between $10 and $49 depending on their insurance coverage.
“It’s on-demand convenience and high-quality care,” Sokolovich said. “It’s a game changer.”
Photo: Ian Hooton, Getty Images
