Care in the right place, at the right time, and in the right setting

Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the total health of our members and community through an integrated system that delivers personalized, affordable, convenient care leading to healthier outcomes.

Kaiser Permanente has been leading the health care industry for over 10 years with My Health Manager where members can send emails to their physicians and receive a phone or email response. Adding new telehealth services is a natural progression as our electronic health record system, KP HealthConnect, provides the ideal platform for integrating these new interactions as part of our member’s electronic medical record.

“Telehealth enables us to use different channels of communication to help patients and their care teams resolve health issues quickly, accurately, and in a personalized way,” explains John Bigley, MD, Area Medical Director, Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center.

Telehealth includes a broad scope of remote health care services such as video, phone appointments, email, and online and mobile health management. Not all of these services are currently available in all departments.

Telephone appointments are one way we make our care more convenient for members. There are certain criteria used to determine whether or not a telephone appointment is appropriate. If it doesn’t require an in-person medical exam, you may be able to address it with a doctor by phone. These include minor health conditions such as allergies, colds and coughs, some follow-up visits, and upper respiratory infections. Members can ask their physician for more information or inquire if this is an option when making an appointment.

“Often patients want to talk to their doctor when they’re sick, but prefer not to come in for a face-to-face visit. For the right conditions, a telephone appointment can help fill that gap in a convenient manner,” says Dr. Bigley.

The benefits of telehealth can include improved outcomes and better health, thanks to higher levels of member engagement, communication with caregivers and adherence to treatment and prescriptions.

“Our goal is to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right setting — using all of our available resources to drive innovations that advance healthier outcomes and improve the entire care experience,” adds Dr. Bigley.