Boston-based American Well is launching a new patient facing app set to integrate with Epic’s EHR system. The new technology, dubbed the American Well Telehealth Patient app, will be offered within Epic’s App Orchard, an API marketplace. 

Patients using the American Well Telehealth Patient app will be able to schedule or request telemedicine appointments through the MyChart platform. Users can also access virtual videos through MyChart. 

On the provider side, clinicians can see when a patient has arrived in the waiting room. They can also schedule telemedicine visits and accept patient requests for a visit. 

The tool was created to complement the American Well Telehealth Clinical app for acute care, which launched within Epic’s App Orchard in May. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Interest in telemedicine is on the rise, however adoption is still relatively low. Earlier this week American Well released results of its annual consumer survey finding that while about two-thirds of responders are willing to receive care via telemedicine, only 8% have had used a virtual visit before. 

The telemedicine company is pitching this tool as a way for virtual care to fit more easily into the workflow in the future. 

"The integration we've done delivers on this promise and more importantly, represents the first of many important workflow contributions we'll introduce to help health systems not only launch, but strategically scale their telehealth programs. As hospitals are increasingly realizing the fundamental value of making digital care delivery core to their care and patient engagement strategies, it's critical that the associated workflows are intuitive, seamless and fully-connected,” Mike Baird, president of customer solutions at American Well, said in a statement. “We're thrilled to support hospitals across the country as they build out their virtual care journey."

THE LARGER TREND

In 2018 American Well scored $365.4 million in new funding. Following this funding the company launched a number of new products. In January it launched the American Well 760 Cart, which lets acute care teams at health systems virtually bring a specialist on site. Additionally, at HIMSS19, the company unveiled its American Well 250 Cart, which lets doctors and patients in a hospital connect to a range of specialists.