How OSF Healthcare Implemented a Telewellness Program

The Illinois-based health system uses telemedicine technologies as part of its employee wellness program.

Patients across the country are using telemedicine to get treatment when and where they want it for everything from mental health counseling to skin conditions. But what if you could offer your employees a wellness program with the same level of convenience?

OSF Healthcare's leadership thinks it may have created a program that offers its workers the convenience of a third-party administered wellness program with the in-house touches and security of a homegrown one.

OSF rolled out a pilot program using telemedicine technologies in February 2015, says , vice president of telehealth services at OSF. The program is available to workers employed at OSF's Peoria and Bloomington, IL campuses, but Hinderliter says OSF plans to make telewellness available to employees system-wide.

Services offered include all the programs expected of a wellness program, such as smoking cessation, weight management, stress counseling, and exercise therapy. But where OSF's program differs is that it enables workers to take advantage of telemedicine technologies, allowing flexibility and convenience to its employees.

The below interview transcript has been lightly edited.

HLM: How was the concept for an internal telewellness program introduced?

Hinderliter: We were looking at our strategy and management plans regarding how to increase wellness access for our employees. We have employees who work nights, weekends, off shift, and so on, and it becomes very difficult to get them in to have their wellness visit. You don't necessarily want to come back [for a wellness visit] after you've worked a 12-hour shift.  So, what we were looking for was ease of access.

HLM: Tell me a bit about how employees can access their wellness counselors remotely.

Hinderliter: We provide up to five follow-up visits after the employee does their initial wellness profile, where they answer questions like, how much do you walk? Do you smoke? Or, how's your sleep quality? They also look over weight, blood pressure, and vital signs. Then we provide the follow up for that visit, which can now be done… with their smartphone, on a tablet, or a computer.

So, we schedule that visit with them, and then send them a link, which enables them to access their visit. They're able to complete that follow up wellness [visit] and review their profile. It's basically a video chat with the provider. They can see you, and you can see them. It's two-way audio, [and] video [in] real time. We're also able to share the screen, so they can pull up your profile and actually go through how you answered the questions, and show you your lab results, as well as discuss what your items for improvement are.

We can then set up specific appointments for you afterward to discuss specific issues, like if you needed more education on diet, how to prepare food, and what meals you should be eating, or instruction on how to do exercises.  

HLM: Are the telewellness counselors employees of OSF? Would the employees using this service know them?

Hinderliter: They are employees of OSF, and you may know them.

HLM: Have you personally tried the program? What was your experience like?

Hinderliter: I was part of the pilot, and I loved it. To me, it's so much easier, and that's something that I'm definitely always looking —that ability to do something and not have to factor in travel or figure out parking. Especially with something like wellness, it's easy to put it off.

But, the benefit in the long run is, if you can get people through this, you can get them to start wanting to be in control of their own health management. That's really what this is about: Getting people on the right track and keeping people healthy.

HLM: The pilot program launched just over ago. Where do you see the program a year from now?

Hinderliter: We see this exploding with the use of mobile apps and wearable devices. We've been working on outfitting walking trails and other exercise venues with QR codes, so people can scan those with their mobile devices and say where they were. For example, if they walked up a staircase, they could scan a code at the top of the staircase. That information could be compiled to show how much exercise they got that day and keep fitness front of mind. We would be able to coach them based on how much they actually move.

Being able to utilize those types of apps and mobile devices is huge. You can do that with what you're eating, and activity monitors can also monitor how much you're sleeping, which can lead to us determining whether or not you might need a sleep consult.

We're really turning this into more of a full management service, with counselors who can help you manage your situation day-to-day. It's nice to talk to someone who will tell you, 'yeah, you need to lose 10 pounds,' and here are some diet tips and tricks and some exercises, but who is following up with that?

I think that's the next steps for this—the follow through. We will provide resources to help monitor and coach them to make sure that people are on the right track.

HLM: What would you say to people who have privacy concerns?

Hinderliter: Just like any of our wellness visits, we do keep the data separated. It's not information that goes into electronic medical records, like if you were seen in a physician's office. It's also HIPAA-compliant and uses data encrypted for medical use, so it's not just Skype of Facetime or any other vide chatting—this is another level of security. We're very serious about keeping things separate. Everything is very secure.

HLM: What advice would you give to other organizations considering starting a similar program?

Hinderliter: I think my advice would be to make sure all of your stakeholders are onboard. I was very lucky with the group I was working with. Our wellness group has very strong leadership, and they were very excited about doing this kind of program, and were very interested in innovation. It's difficult when you're working with a group that isn't necessarily onboard.