SynsorMed: Would you introduce yourself and give me a quick overview of your practice, size and specialty?
Dr. Bhimani: I’m Dr. Bhimani. I practice internal medicine. I’ve been practicing for 27 years, and I have a practice that includes anybody from [ages] 18 to 100-years-old. I’m seeing probably 30 patients a day. I also do long-term assisted living and independent living. Plus I’m a chairman of the Department of Medicine, and I’m also the Associate Program Director for internal medicine.
SynsorMed: What was your team’s process prior to using SynsorMed? So for example, how often did you see your patients? How easy or difficult was it to get a read on their chronic conditions?
Dr. Bhimani: So being that we are very busy, and our situation has changed now a little bit, [due to COVID-19] but usually, with chronic patients we try to see them every three months. In assisted living, independent living, and nursing homes, we see [patients] once a month. We try, and some of the time, my nurse practitioner and I will go and see the patients.
The problem we’re facing is every patient has different requirements. And due to these requirements, particularly now, the pandemic has made it more difficult for me. We have a very difficult situation trying to get them in my office, understanding how important it is to do it. Or sometimes for my safety, too, because I can’t go to every person every month and expose my patients. So yes, it was very difficult. We are trying.
SynsorMed: Were there any costs, and examples would be time, money, efficiency, associated with the process that you were using prior to using SynsorMed?
Dr. Bhimani: Yes. All of them are required, right? Number one, time, yes. When I do in-office patient [meetings], when we give [the patient] a blood pressure monitor… and they, most of the time they don’t do it, we call them, we never get the accurate readings, number one.
Number two. When I go to these assisted independent places, I have to drive out to literally dig out the blood pressure [monitors] or any vitals measurements, and we have a very hard time. It’s time consuming, absolutely. Very time consuming.
And number three, sometimes we get data two weeks later. So that doesn’t make sense for me to interpret the data, which has already been old for a week or 10 days.
Number four, it’s also saving the time for the nursing staff so that we use resources less. So there are multifactorial benefit, yes.
SynsorMed: What led you to look for an RPM platform? So was it a result of the social climate? Was it the pandemic that made you want to look for RPM? Was it internal needs? You mentioned time was a big constraint for you guys, the opportunities for an additional revenue stream or something else?
Dr. Bhimani: So initially I started to look into this. This came in… incidentally I found I was looking into telemedicine and while I’m doing telemedicine, my most difficult situation was the accuracy of the vital signs, which the number one is blood pressure. And so I was reviewing and I came across while I was searching on the web Remote Patient Monitor, physiological monitoring, and I got interested in that. And it just happened because probably [the pandemic] inspired me to do it, otherwise I might not be doing [telemedicine].
Then I started reading about [RPM] and I saw a couple of articles in different magazines – medical magazines – and I said, “Oh wow, there’s something existing.” So that came out to be okay, but then what happened, I said, “Equipment costs. Many of my patients cannot afford [equipment].” Then when I dove deeper, I noticed that, “Oh, that patient can be on Medicaid or the insurance company might take care of these things.” So I think that inspired me to do a deep dive. So it benefits everything, yes. Time, a little financial, patient care, reducing morbidity and mortality. So all of the above, I don’t think the finances are the only aspect I’ll look at.
SynsorMed: While you were looking at all of these telehealth options, what made you decide on SynsorMed for RPM?
Dr. Bhimani: I think before, I’ll be honest, before I took SynsorMed, I reviewed a couple other companies. Couple of companies came physically into my building and came to me, but they’re all either starting in the RPM business or they do not have too much accuracy or their monitoring is not accurate or their device is not good. So when I talked to SynsorMed and I got a feeling that they knew exactly what I needed, what my patients needed and how current information I’d be getting. And so I started talking to them and I think [SynsorMed] is the right company.
SynsorMed: Once you had decided on SynsorMed, you were all in to use the product, what was your main concern about rolling out SynsorMed to your patients?
Dr. Bhimani: There were two main concerns we had. One is compliance, compliance with Medicare requirements if you want to bill it. Compliance means we need to reach the goal of sixteen days of monitoring patient interactions, and which insurance company is allowed what level of billing, so that was our two main concerns. And, as I already said, we already did a lot of homework, but after we started with [SynsorMed], we realized that it’s easier.
SynsorMed: Once you had given your patients their devices, how have your internal processes changed within your practice since you started using SynsorMed?
Dr. Bhimani: So since we started SynsorMed we operated a little bit different. We technically hire a person to go to different [locations] and get me readings. So things happened, this person became like a visitor. I’m getting my more accurate blood pressure reading, some of the patients are giving me a compliment for sending somebody so they have their social time with them on the top of that, which is not part of this deal, but we did it. So that they’re very happy when somebody comes into the room, talking to them.
And the other thing is that quick access is my main benefit. We get the numbers, we get the access, we can see the situation. I have a patient at home and his blood pressure was climbing very high and nobody was paying attention. I got it under control within three days, I’m in the right place, so I prevented the patient from going to the emergency room or other co-morbidity could have been mortality. So I feel like [SynsorMed] worked.
SynsorMed: Do you have a favorite feature or part of our products that we offer and why?
Dr. Bhimani: To be honest, I know we are using only blood pressure cuffs right now, but the readings are coming in very accurate and we’re making this judgment right now, so I don’t have anything negative about the equipment. It’s pretty good.
SynsorMed: What advice would you give to others who might be considering using SynsorMed for RPM?
Dr. Bhimani: I would tell him benefit number one: your patient is being taken care of in the home. You’re getting correct, accurate readings – accurate reading plus the patient is being treated properly. And here is the benefit I see, we can talk to the patient and say, “What medication you are taking. Can you tell me?” So that’s one.
The other thing is with my telemedicine, with my Televisits, this is an enhancing factor. I can see the blood pressure trend, I can see the oxygen trend, and eventually the glucose trend. So it’s becoming more like an office visit. See, right now, telemedicine is not an accurate office visit. Most of my patients don’t have a blood pressure monitor – they don’t have anything – they just talk to me. So this is providing me a more close experience to the office visit. One step closer to the office, let’s put it that way. Financially second, I mean as a secondary benefit, but it’s a benefit. So it improves your financial goal too. A good supplemental service with a financial benefit.
SynsorMed: Will you describe our product if you were explaining it to a friend?
Dr. Bhimani: Yes. I’d tell him there are three components of things. One is the website/software support, one is the device, and one is how to do [RPM]. So all three components are right in place right now. I don’t think we ever miss any accuracy of readings. We don’t have a discrepancy in readings, and I think the software is well-built so I can get into the software easily and put my information.
SynsorMed: And then this is my last question, which is just, do you have any closing thoughts about SynsorMed’s products or the benefits of RPM that you would like to share?
Dr. Bhimani: So, as I said, the benefit is there. I mean, patient care, morbidity, mortality, readmissions are there, definitely. Financially I’m sure. So you supplement your income with care.
Additional questions? Reach us info@synsormed.com
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SynsorMed is the complete remote monitoring platform that increases practice revenue and encourages patient compliance. SynsorMed reduces costly chronic disease readmissions, delivers personalized care, and provides data for value-based care models. SynsorMed combines telehealth, remote patient monitoring and machine learning to ease healthcare’s journey toward better patient health.
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