Telehealth Implementation Best Practices to Fast Track Success

Q: WHAT SHOULD A NEW CIRRUSMD CLIENT KNOW AS THEY PREPARE FOR IMPLEMENTATION?

Interview with Ryan Flynn, VP of Customer Success, CirrusMD

A: We’re going to respect your resources. We understand that dedicating resources can sometimes be a challenge so our approach is to streamline implementation as much as possible, taking on the majority of the lift. Depending on the scope of a partnership, our goal is to implement within 30-45 days. After the final terms are agreed, you'll be assigned a dedicated team, led by an assigned Client Success Manager along with technical resources, marketing and clinical. We schedule a formal kickoff meeting to set expectations of the implementation, define goals and objectives, plan how we’ll drive initial awareness and ongoing utilization, and map out additional integration points within your benefits ecosystem.

Q: WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE OVERLOOKED WHEN IMPLEMENTING A VIRTUAL CARE PROGRAM?

A: Success depends on creating awareness with your employees or members. One of the most important milestones within an implementation is defining marketing commitment. We aim to help you succeed by planning from pre-launch through long-term utilization. CirrusMD works with your team to build initial awareness, then keep the benefit top of mind to drive ongoing utilization. We provide best practices using a multi-channel approach that includes SMS, email, other digital and traditional marketing avenues. We’ve also built co-branded marketing toolkits for our clients to ensure they’re set up for success with their own  marketing efforts.

Q: TALK US THROUGH THE STEPS OF IMPLEMENTATION.

A: We use a complete, three-phased approach. Phase one, you’ll meet your client success manager and the dedicated team that will guide your implementation process. We start with an initial kickoff meeting where we define program goals, objectives and success metrics. Phase two is defining the eligibility process, probably the most important milestone because it identifies how patients access and are validated within the platform. As a team, we begin collaboratively developing your clinical playbook, and reviewing the project plan, milestones, expectations, roles and responsibilities. In phase three we firm up marketing commitment for launch, so we’re ready with strategies to build awareness and utilization. When these phases are complete, a recurring weekly meeting keeps the team, project plan and overall implementation on track.

Q: HOW DOES A NEW CIRRUSMD CLIENT PREPARE FOR THEIR IMPLEMENTATION?

A: New CirrusMD clients define the resources available for implementation. We’ll ask for someone with a technical background to assist with eligibility data and integration points; a marketing decision maker who can direct the discussion and make commitments for launch; and a resource who can define integration points with other point solutions, to help build out your playbook. 

We also suggest you do some pre-planning around goals and objectives. We’ll provide a pre-implementation packet, which will help you get ready and include templates and sample reports.

Q: WHAT ONGOING SUPPORT DOES A CIRRUSMD CLIENT RECEIVE?

A: CirrusMD uses a team approach for long term success. Your client success manager is your day to day contact for operations, strategy and facilitating anything you need from other CirrusMD team members, including clinical data, marketing and technical implementation. We want you to feel expertly guided, not only during implementation, but throughout our relationship.

We’re a data-driven organization. Our standard monthly reporting package includes monthly aggregate reports that not only show monthly activity, but also outcomes of that activity. Some metrics include  utilization data, referrals, repeat usage (demonstrating user loyalty), overall patient experience, and redirection data that ultimately allows you to understand downstream savings and ROI.

Q: HOW DOES CIRRUSMD HELP DIRECT A CLIENT'S MEMBERS OR EMPLOYEES TOWARD THE RIGHT SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED?

A: CirrusMD's approach to patient care is the industry's only instant, on-demand access to a virtual primary care provider who practices whole person care 24/7/365. All within a single user experience.

The client playbook is the resource guide for our provider network, helping CirrusMD providers direct your members or employees to in network resources and other 3rd party point solutions. As we see more volume on the platform, we start data-mining encounter types to see what additional resources could be added to your playbook to help add the most value.

Our clinical approach is based on whole person, virtual primary care. If we are unable to resolve an encounter 100% virtually, we have the tools to navigate patients to the appropriate settings, so they can receive the highest quality and most cost effective care.

Q: WHY DOES CIRRUSMD EXPERIENCE HIGHER UTILIZATION THAN OTHER TELEHEALTH SERVICES?

A: I think it’s the barrier-free access to care. CirrusMD provides care on the patients’ time, not the physicians’.  We don't put any pay walls or chatbots in front of users, but rather give them an instant connection to a real human doctor. Our whole person care approach means CirrusMD physicians can see more types of patients — from primary care to behavioral health. And finally, leveraging our marketing best  practices ensures your members and employees  know how and when to use CirrusMD.