American Well Announces Telehealth Pilot for Clinical Care Programs at Massachusetts General Hospital

BOSTON, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American Well® today announced a three-pronged telehealth pilot program at Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General). This program is designed to bring healthcare services to current patients in Massachusetts, focusing first on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Heart Failure and Neurology, by making physicians available to patients through live, real-time video visits.

"Telemedicine is a critical tool in improving access to care and overcoming barriers created by geography, income or social circumstance," said Dr. Lee H. Schwamm, Vice Chair of Neurology and Medical Director of TeleHealth at Massachusetts General Hospital. "The technology enables us to extend our reach and deliver the highest quality of care to members of our own system and to a broader population of patients as well."

Through a six-month pilot with Massachusetts General Hospital TeleHealth, scheduled to launch this month, the program will offer patients access to telehealth visits in three clinical areas – Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Heart Failure and Neurological Movement Disorders.

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: The pilot program will focus on children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Parents and children dealing with Autism and ADHD often find it difficult to find appropriate resources locally or to secure after school appointments.  The program will allow participating physicians to see existing patients in their own homes. 

• Heart Failure: The pilot program will give cardiologists the ability to hold video visits with patients at home. The program will begin with heart failure patients as they require close monitoring by their care team for successful disease management.

• Neurology: The pilot program will focus on follow-up visits for patients with limited mobility, which makes travel difficult and home visits ideal.

Massachusetts General Hospital launched its TeleStroke program in 2000, allowing Mass General stroke specialists to examine and diagnose patients at remote clinical locations throughout New England and recommend a plan of care to local physicians. 

American Well's web-based Online Care platform is designed to extend the ability of physicians to better care for their patients from the patients' home or work using the web, smartphones or tablet devices. Physicians can review a patient's incoming clinical information, speak with and see the patient, prescribe medications if appropriate and suggest follow-up care. Online Care visits are designed to abide by HIPAA rules, protecting the patient's privacy and the security of their health information. At the conclusion of the six-month pilot, the program may be expanded beyond the three initial clinical areas. 

"Massachusetts General Hospital is an iconic institution representing the very best of healthcare both nationally and worldwide. Mass General's decision to roll out telehealth as a channel for their renowned services fits the bill of innovation and modernization of healthcare delivery for which this organization is so well known," said Roy Schoenberg MD, MPH, CEO of American Well Systems. "We at American Well are proud to be part of this effort and will help Mass General and its leadership continue to shape clinical best practices and enlist technology as a way to bring care to their patients."   

About American Well
American Well® is a telehealth services company that brings healthcare into the homes and workplaces of patients, to overcome barriers of distance, mobility and time.  The Company's web and mobile telehealth platform lets patients and clinicians connect for live, clinically meaningful visits through video, secure text chat and phone. American Well partners with leading health plans, delivery networks, retail pharmacies, employers and distributors to deploy telehealth services, including solution design and set-up, provider network design and operations, and marketing to support adoption by consumers, physicians and employer groups.

American Well is a registered trademark of American Well Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contacts:

American Well
Julie Sculley or Dave McKee
Schwartz MSL
781-684-0770
[email protected]

SOURCE American Well