Kalispell Regional offers virtual doctor visits

Flathead Valley’s largest medical system is now offering a new technology where patients can log into virtual doctor appointments from anywhere with internet, anytime of day.

This week, Kalispell Regional Healthcare opened KRH Care Anywhere, a program that connects patients with clinicians for a video meeting.

Kip Smith, executive director of telehealth services at Kalispell Regional, said the doctor appointments are like an old-fashioned house call — it just happens to be online.

“When your kid is coughing at 2 a.m. and you need an answer — do they need a prescription or to go to the ER — this is an option,” he said.

Smith said the online tool is for nonemergency issues such as colds, flu, earaches, pink eye and skin rashes. He said while doctors can’t take X-rays or labs over Skype, they can do a virtual physical exam by helping patients take their pulse or check their breathing rate.

Each visit has a flat fee of $45. That’s compared to roughly $100 at a doctor’s office or more for an emergency room visit.

Kalispell Regional rolled out the program to its employees at the end of March as a trial run. The system relies on a platform provided from Seattle-based company Carena Inc., which has a pool of Montana-certified doctors on call.

Smith said people can tap into the service through Kalispell Regional’s webpage or download an Apple or Microsoft app on their smartphone or tablet.

He said Kalispell Regional still believes the “best approach” is for people to have a primary care provider.

“We also know that we still don’t have enough primary care providers in our community,” he said. “We have extremely busy practices. We’re constantly trying to hire more providers and expand in the community. But it’s tough.”

AS MONTANA’S increasing population continues to age, the state will need 40 percent more health-care workers in a decade than it has now, according to a 2016 study by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Bryce Ward, director of health-care research at the University of Montana, said when someone simply needs a prescription or advice, online appointments could be a way to create flexibility in a stretched-tight system.

“If you’re not coming to the office, a doctor has more capacity for same-day appointments for people who need them,” Ward said.

He said that’s especially true in a mostly rural state where there’s often a gap between services and communities.

Ward said as the technology is introduced to Northwest Montana consumers, there’s bound to be “growing pains.” Some patients will use the tool too often or rely on it when it’s actually a crisis worth an emergency room visit, and some will ignore it all together.

“There will have to be training on both sides, for the doctors and the patients, about when and how to use this,” he said.

SMITH said some Kalispell Regional staff are interested in receiving training for virtual care. For now, he said they’re still charting how the tool works and whether or not it will work for local doctors to integrate into the Carena Inc. system.

During the Kalispell Regional trial run, 40 percent of patients were referred to in-person care.

“That doesn’t mean they aren’t providing some benefit for you when you dial in,” Smith said. “It may mean that they’re just saying ‘here’s what we can do for you tonight, but you do need to follow up with your primary care provider.’”

Smith said the program can share visit summaries with a patient’s primary provider. If someone doesn’t have a go-to physician, he said Kalispell Regional employees will offer to connect that person to a local practitioner.

At the end of a visit, the patient will get an emailed summary of the appointment and receipt that can be returned to insurance companies for possible reimbursement.

“We see this as simply an opportunity to offer access to primary and urgent care in a different form than a traditional office. And we realize that there is an entire generation that live on these,” Smith said while holding up his cellphone.

Ward said it’s those “early adopters” who flock to technology who will set the stage for “when and how fast” this form of care will take off in Northwest Montana.

“If the benefits are there, it really should spread,” Ward said. “I keep waiting for this to become a more integrated part of our lives.”

For more information about KRH Care Anywhere, visist https://www.krh.org/krhc/services/krh-care-anywhere.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.