Here are six takeaways:
1. Kaiser started devising a program in 2014 to provide its enrollees and patients access to their physicians through a secure video link via their smartphone or tablet.
2. Kaiser fine-tuned the program to allow all Kaiser facilities to use the program if the facilities choose to implement it.
3. Kaiser Permanente Northwest is the first to use the program. The facility serves 520,000 medical members and 240,000 dental members in Southwest Washington and Oregon.
4. Patients can log onto KP.org to schedule a digital physician visit, which are usually for conditions such as colds, flu, allergies, asthma, rashes, sunburns, bug bites, minor cuts, sprains, breaks and urinary tract infections.
5. Through the program, physicians have full access to patients’ medical records and can share the records with patients and medical staff.
6. Kaiser offers patients video tutorials, guiding them through the set-up and showing them how to connect to Kaiser for a digital visit.
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