Clinicians slated for virtual visit rollout will be randomized (stratified by department) to either receive immediate virtual visit on-boarding (intervention arm) or delayed (3-months later) virtual visit on-boarding (control arm). The investigators plan to enroll no more than 200 clinicians. Any clinician in a department selected by the Brigham Health Virtual Care team for access to virtual visits is eligible, unless s/he saw less than 20 patients monthly over the last 6 months. The Brigham Health Virtual Care team will onboard all clinicians and provide virtual visit support as per their usual protocol. The primary study endpoint is third-available appointment, a well-adopted measure of access. Other secondary endpoints revolve around continuity, efficiency, utilization, safety, cost, and patient experience.
If enrolled in the intervention arm, the following steps will occur: * The clinician will receive the intervention arm follow-up email ("Follow-up Email - Intervention" in the Appendix). * The Brigham Health Virtual Care team will work with the clinician toward immediate on-boarding (software training, hardware setup, technical support) as per their usual process. * The clinician will schedule virtual visits as s/he and/or her/his department see fit. Virtual visits occur on an already-in-use Partners- and Brigham-approved video platform (attached). If enrolled in the control arm, the following steps will occur: * The clinician will receive the control arm follow-up email ("Follow-up Email - Control" in the Appendix). * Three months from the time of the follow-up email, the Brigham Health Virtual Care team will work with the clinician toward immediate on-boarding (software training, hardware setup, technical support) as per their usual process. * The clinician will schedule virtual visits as s/he and/or her/his department see fit. Virtual visits occur on an already-in-use Partners- and Brigham-approved video platform (attached). The investigators plan to follow patients of both clinician cohorts for a total of 6-months. The investigators will perform retrospective review of patient electronic health records and patients will receive a redcap survey (attached), an evaluation mechanism already employed by the Virtual Care team. Again, aside from the initial randomization and retrospective data collection and analysis, all of the above would have occurred irrespective of this research protocol.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
77
Clinicians will have a synchronous video visit with their patients.
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Days until third available appointment
Number of days until the third available routine appointment, obtained at 12 o'clock each Friday (embargoed appointments not included). The mean of all of the weeks is a clinician's average number of days until the third available routine appointment.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Days until first available appointment
Number of days until the next available routine appointment, obtained at 12 o'clock each Friday (embargoed appointments not included). The mean of all of the weeks is a clinician's average number of days until the next available routine appointment.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Future capacity: percentage of open appointment slots
Percentage of appointment slots that are open and available for booking patients over the next four weeks, obtained at 12 o'clock each Friday (embargoed appointments not included). The mean of all of the weeks is a clinician's future capacity.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Frequency of visits with the usual provider of care
Ratio of the number of visits to the most frequently seen provider to the total number of visits to all providers obtained each month. The mean of all of the months is a clinician's ratio.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Continuity of care index
The number of visits to each individual physician divided by the total number of visits the patient had overall obtained each month. The mean of all of the months is the continuity of care index
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
No show rate
Ratio of the number of no-show visits to total visit slots obtained each week. The mean of all of the weeks is a clinician's no show rate.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Visit time
In-person: face time with patient per pertinent EHR fields, obtained each week. The mean of all of the weeks is a clinician's visit time. Virtual: enter virtual waiting room to video stops, obtained each week. The mean of all of the weeks is a clinician's visit time.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Clinician volume per hour
Patients seen per hour, calculated at the end of the study.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Clinician volume per day
Patients seen per day, all calculated at the end of the study.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Clinician volume per month
Patients seen per month, all calculated at the end of the study.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Clinician volume per 6 months
Patients seen per 6 months, all calculated at the end of the study.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Slot utilization
Ratio of used slots to total slots, obtained each week. The mean of all of the weeks is a clinician's slot utilization.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Number of primary care visits
Number of primary care visits
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Number of specialist visits
Number of specialist visits
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Number of emergency department visits
Number of emergency department visits
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Number of inpatient admissions
Number of inpatient admissions
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Number of imaging studies
Number of imaging studies ordered
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Number of labs ordered
Number of laboratory studies ordered
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Number of medications prescribed
Number of medications prescribed
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
Patient Experience
Brigham Health Virtual Care team survey sent to participating patients
Time frame: Sent electronically within 1 week of the in-person or virtual visit
Revenue from virtual or in-person visit
Revenue garnered by an individual clinician for her/his clinical activity, calculated per hour and per 6 months (denominator: total clinical hours worked).
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 6 months
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