Providence Health & Services Debuts New Virtual Care Solution to Connect Patients and Physicians Online

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Providence Health & Services, in partnership with Providence Health Plan, announced that it will provide patients and health plan members across the state of Oregon with access to new online health care services via SmartExam™ from Bright.md, developer of a virtual care solution to improve health care efficiencies and outcomes while reducing costs for many of the most common health conditions. The SmartExam offering is covered in full for Providence Health Plan members and available otherwise for $20 per visit, less than the cost of the average co-pay.

Providence initially tested SmartExam with a limited number of users, comprised of its own employees and other select groups, and quickly saw how access to trusted physicians via mobile phone, tablets or computers could benefit all residents of Oregon.

"Providence is putting a strong emphasis on digital health services that bring innovation to the market and make high quality care more convenient for the communities we serve," said Benjamin LeBlanc, MD, chief medical Officer at Providence Medical Group. "We believe this provides a significant opportunity to reach more patients and members when they need us, while providing valuable services more cost-effectively. We're excited to extend this offering throughout Oregon, and further strengthen our relationships with members of the Providence community."

Currently available to more than 6 million patients and members across the country, Bright.md's SmartExam acts as a virtual physician's assistant, enabling physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians to deliver efficient remote care, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes. Patients are able to receive care from their trusted providers using a mobile phone, tablet or computer. The intelligent software dynamically interviews patients, using answers to gather more information and support providers in care delivery. SmartExam leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to get smarter as it learns more about patients' specific needs and conditions. It uses patient answers and information from the electronic medical record (EMR) system to hone the next question, improving the ability to identify important issues and potential causes, which enable the physician to provide evidence-based treatments.

SmartExam's AI capabilities result in more thorough patient interviews than in-person or video-based remote care solutions. With better background information, providers can address patient needs in just two to three minutes. The speed and efficiency of care has resulted in high marks from patients and providers alike; 90 percent of patients say they would use the solution again, and 88 percent of providers report high satisfaction with SmartExam.

"Providence is a cutting-edge health system that sees the value of engaging with members in different ways and leveraging technology to support care initiatives. The addition of SmartExam as a virtual physician's assistant further extends Providence's leadership in delivering innovative, value-based care that meets the unique needs of Oregon residents," said Ray Costantini, MD, co-founder and CEO of Bright.md. "Through SmartExam's care automation, Providence members can access their trusted physicians to quickly and easily address basic health concerns, at a cost that is significantly less than a typical co-pay."

Find out more about SmartExam at Providence here.

Keywords for this news article include: Bright.md, Managed Care, Health and Medicine.

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