Aspire Indiana Health has introduced Video in Person, aka ViP, as its branded name for medical and behavioral health appointments that take place through a video meeting on a computer, smartphone or other device.
Video in Person/ViP will be the language the fully integrated non-profit healthcare provider will use going forward to distinguish between appointments that take place at one of its six Central Indiana locations or over ViP (rhymes with “zip”).
As Indiana sheltering rules ease, Aspire is determined to be proactive in offering choices to its patients in how they receive services. Whenever someone requests an appointment, they will be asked if they prefer to have it at a clinic or by ViP. They also have the option to come into a clinic and be provided with a device to see a ViP provider.
Aspire was uniquely positioned to pivot to ViP appointments during the early stages of pandemic, going from an average of seven ViP appointments per day to more than 700 per day in just two weeks. Even as its clinics have reopened to regular appointments, the experience solidified the belief that a permanent transition of a significant portion of its services to Video in Person is something patients will accept and even prefer.
“What we’ve learned is that Hoosiers are receptive to receiving healthcare this way, particularly on the behavioral health side. But no one really knows what to call it,” said Christopher Lloyd, Director of Branding and Communications. “‘Telehealth’ and ‘telemedicine’ are really outdated terms as they imply a voice-only telephone call, which patients do not embrace.”
“With ViP we want to emphasize this is still an interpersonal, face-to-face encounter with a healthcare professional. You can see them, and they can see you. It just happens over a one-click video meeting on your computer or mobile device. Thus, video… in person.”
Aspire uses Google Meet for nearly all its ViP appointments, since it is a stable, secure, and HIPAA compliant platform that ensures privacy. Patients are sent a unique link they click on to join the Video in Person meeting on a video-capable device. Aspire has even provided free smartphones to low-income patients who lack them.
“Serving the at-risk population remains at the core of the Aspire mission, and many of those patients experience difficulties in physically getting to a clinic due to a lack of transportation, mobility issues or getting time off from work. ViP is another vehicle for removing barriers to accessing healthcare,” said Barbara Scott, Aspire President and CEO.
Learn more at aspireindiana.org.