Updated March 18, 2020
Outpatient Research Visits are Now Moving to Video
In order to protect our study participants and our study staff, research visits should use Telemedicine technology to conduct video visits whenever possible. See the IRB guidance on how to record these deviations in your annual report. For all IRB guidance regarding COVID-19 visit: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/institutional_review_board/news/covid19_information.html/covid19_faqs.html
We anticipate that starting on Tuesday, March 17, you will be able to set up unscheduled video visits in Epic in which the patient joins through MyChart. We anticipate that on Wednesday, March 18, you will be able to change scheduled in person visits into a virtual video/telephone visit in Epic. If a video visit cannot be used, then the backup mechanism is to conduct a phone visit. The ICTR recommends that you begin preparing now by doing the following:
Complete Required eLearning Modules
Modules are available at https://my.jh.edu. Type in ‘Telemedicine’ in the search field under the education button on the left-hand side of the screen. Everyone conducting a Telemedicine research visit need to take “Telemedicine Foundations 101 E-Learning.” In addition, Nurses/CMA, Providers, and Registration/Scheduling staff should take the appropriate role-specific training. The Reg/Sched module should be taken by any Coordinator or Nurse who has scheduling access
IMPORTANT NOTE: We are making emergency changes to Epic to allow study coordinators to conduct a Telemedicine visit and will contact you as soon as those changes and associated training are available.
You can also attend live online demos via Zoom–providers at the top of the hour, schedulers and registrars on the half hour.
Zoom Meeting
https://jhjhm.zoom.us/j/4105766624
Phone: +16465588656,,4105766624# US (New York)
Tuesday to Thursday
7:00 – 10:00 am & 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Tip Sheets are available at: https://livejohnshopkins.sharepoint.com/sites/epictraining/SitePages/Telemedicine.aspx
Prepare and Test Your Equipment
Before a video visit can be conducted, a PolyCom app needs to be installed on any device (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop) that might be used to conduct the visit. Here is a tip sheet to do so: Equipment Testing and PolyCom Installation
Johns Hopkins Telemedicine
Please visit the Johns Hopkins Telemedicine website at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/telemedicine/ and their intranet page at https://intranet.insidehopkinsmedicine.org/telemedicine for updates on changes in Telemedicine regulations if your research subjects are outside of the State of Maryland. Note that not all research follow-up visits involve the practice of Telemedicine. Some research follow-ups are not clinical care. If you are just calling research participants for follow up and not billing, that is not considered Telemedicine.
We have been advised that during this health emergency, Medicare and Medicaid have permitted billing for Telemedicine in States where you are not licensed. For privately insured patients, where the visit would have been permitted to be billed as standard of care, you will need to consult through the Clinical Research Billing office.
We will post additional information on video visits as it becomes available.
Links
New! EPIC Users Able to Schedule ‘On-The-Fly’ Video Visits (Added March 18, 2020)
Telemedicine COVID-19 Intranet Page (Updated several times a day)
Johns Hopkins Telemedicine Website
