Evernorth acquires Bright.md in bid to enhance MDLIVE
MDLIVE is enhancing its virtual primary care service to include health coaching for patients with chronic conditions, company says.
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Evernorth Health Services, the pharmacy, care and benefits division of The Cigna Group, has revealed that it intends to enhance MDLIVE's virtual care by acquiring the technology and clinical capabilities of Bright.md, which focuses on asynchronous care, triage, and healthcare navigation services.
MDLIVE is enhancing its virtual primary care service to include health coaching for patients with chronic conditions, the company said.
Dr. Eric Weil, chief medical officer, MDLIVE, said that integrating these capabilities will improve patient access to quality care and free up clinicians to spend more time with their patients, as well as reducing the total cost of care.
"Ultimately, this will help patients get care faster and facilitate more meaningful patient-provider interactions that improve health," he said.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
Evernorth touted asynchronous care as a means to reduce clinicians' administrative burden, and the benefit to patients is that they can initiate care on-demand without the need for a real-time clinician interaction.
MDLIVE will begin to offer asynchronous care within its virtual urgent care platform to clients and patients in 2024, and will expand the tool to support chronic disease management and wellness visits over time.
Patients will be guided through a digital clinical interview that is converted into a comprehensive chart note. A licensed clinician reviews patient responses and provides a diagnosis, care plan, prescriptions, or connects the patient to a different modality or setting for care when clinically appropriate.
The company noted that this asynchronous approach is not based on artificial intelligence or machine learning, and all care decisions are made by clinicians. Bright.md CEO Steve Giannini said asynchronous care can be beneficial for treating rashes, urinary tract infections and pink eye, among other ailments.
MDLIVE is also expanding chronic condition care management to include health coaching as part of the care plan developed by a patient's MDLIVE primary care physician. The health coaching program is physician-prescribed and integrated into MDLIVE virtual primary care; this, the company said, enables providers to keep patients engaged and supported in between visits and help manage lifestyle changes, such as weight management, healthy eating, physical activity and sleep management.
MDLIVE health coaching is powered by Welldoc, a digital health and chronic care company with FDA-cleared solutions. The program includes personalized insights and reminders to help patients track progress against their goals, easily record and monitor vitals through activity tracking devices, and manage medications and activity goals. It also helps the patient's MDLIVE physician and care team stay up-to-date and engaged on the patient's progress.
THE LARGER TREND
Evernorth purchased MDLIVE in 2021. Jointly, the companies said the deal would help to complement, not replace, the way customers and patients interact with their existing providers.
According to Doximity, Medicare, Medicaid and privately insured office visits will likely be virtualized in coming years, and telehealth will divert a significant percentage of emergency department visits to become an important adjunct to home healthcare support.
Patients are largely on board with this paradigm shift. Prior to the pandemic, just 14% of Americans had tried telehealth at least once. Since the coronavirus outbreak, that number has increased by 57%, and for those with a chronic illness, the number has increased by 77%.
Last year, MDLIVE expanded its virtual primary care program in an effort to enhance support for those living with chronic conditions. Dr. Maggie Williams, medical director for MDLIVE Virtual Primary Care, claimed it was the first virtual primary care program that synthesizes insights between the primary care physician, patient and other providers to enable better care coordination.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: Jeff.Lagasse@himssmedia.com
