Dive Brief:
- PlushCare, a direct-to-consumer online urgent care company, has launched the "first ever electronic medical record (EMR) for the telehealth industry" called Lemur.
- Lemur requires fewer clicks to complete tasks, which in turn simplifies physicians' workflow and allows them to spend more time with patients as the amount of time spent on the platform was cut by about half compared to the third-party EMR they were previously using, according to CMO and co-founder Dr. James Wantuck.
- Lemur was designed by doctors, Wantuck tells Healthcare Dive. With Lemur, physicians can "establish this virtual relationship with someone where you're not typing into a computer, there's nothing between you and the patient," Wantuck says. "It's more natural and more human in a lot of ways."
Dive Insight:
More and more providers are joining the telehealth space as it helps increase access to care services. Some believe virtual visits allow for more personal interactions between patients and providers.
Most physicians are currently spending too much time imputing data into EMRs. Studies have shown the amount of time they spend on EMR-related tasks is about the same amount they spend with their patients. This in turn affects not only the patient experience, but also physicians' satisfaction with their work. EMR use has also led to more physicians reporting burnout from too many administrative tasks.
While EMR vendors continue to optimize their systems, it is particularly difficult to do so with ones that have been in the industry for years and have seen massive growth.
PlushCare currently operates in 16 states and plans on expanding their footprint, particularly in rural areas where being able to access care has been increasingly challenging as more hospitals in these areas continue to close.