Working at Teladoc post-pandemic

[Tenesmus83]

The pandemic has made contactless patient care more accessible. Can anyone who works at teladoc shed some light
on the work, hours, reimbursement, patient volume?

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[Fox800]

I was pressured to credential to do this, then found it it's like $25 an encounter. No thanks.

 

[BoardingDoc]

The pandemic has made contactless patient care more accessible. Can anyone who works at teladoc shed some light
on the work, hours, reimbursement, patient volume?

I used to work for them on the side. COVID apex? Massive patient queues, bonuses of 15-20 bucks per patient on top of the usual rate, reasonably quick visits.

Now? They credentialed TONS of docs. Queue is empty. You need to stare at the screen and be ready to click at a moment's notice to get a new patient. Bonuses have been gone for months.

It went from being worth it on bonus days to completely pointless. I haven't logged on in months and don't plan on ever going back.

 

[southerndoc]

So you aren't scheduled a time to accept consults? You log in and just take patients as you can without being scheduled a teledoc shift?

 

[BoardingDoc]

So you aren't scheduled a time to accept consults? You log in and just take patients as you can without being scheduled a teledoc shift?

Correct. It's basically Uber for docs. See a consult and want it? Click accept. You don't want it? Don't click anything.

It was nice at first when you could pick up ad hoc. Now though, the number of patients waiting to be seen is basically 0, so you need to stare at the screen constantly and immediately click the second someone shows up, only to find out that it's a patient who wants to be seen for anxiety and they only speak a language that you don't.

Congratulations, you're now getting 25 dollars to do a 30 minute consult over a language line.

 

[Tenesmus83]

any alternative telemedicine companies with better pay?

 

[deleted941485]

I don’t understand why you would bother. Unless it’s like a 2 min consult for 25 dollars then not interested

 

[Fox800]

It's not worth it. Do something else.
$25 for a 10 minute encounter to explain why I'm not giving opioids or antibiotics isn't worth it on my day off.

 

[deleted941485]

It's not worth it. Do something else.
$25 for a 10 minute encounter to explain why I'm not giving opioids or antibiotics isn't worth it on my day off.

Is there a time limit. I know these PCPs in Canada that do 1 min consult for 13 bucks a pop. Minimal paperwork. Split second decisions. Med mal environment is better so if you make a bad decision

 

[Fox800]

Is there a time limit. I know these PCPs in Canada that do 1 min consult for 13 bucks a pop. Minimal paperwork. Split second decisions. Med mal environment is better so if you make a bad decision

No idea.

Like, a *minimum* time limit? LOL

"Yo doc, what happened was I just moved up here from Arizona, I had a pain doctor there. While I was at the bus station, my Percocets fell in the toilet and my pitfall flushed-

"You have been disconnected by your provider. Have a nice day."

Time elapsed: 00:00:28

I call this the General Veers style of practice.

 

[GeneralVeers]

The project I do is 3 minutes scheduled. Granted it's limited scope. I have quick speech I give them then let them ask any questions. Most people I can get done in 2 minutes or so, which keeps me on schedule. Rarely I'll have the patient who asks tons of questions. I politely tell them that it's beyond the scope of what we can accomplish in 3 minutes, and hopefully get them off the line. We fortunately have a an outside messaging site which I can direct them to in order to ask any additional questions.

 

[GeneralVeers]

No idea.

Like, a *minimum* time limit? LOL

"Yo doc, what happened was I just moved up here from Arizona, I had a pain doctor there. While I was at the bus station, my Percocets fell in the toilet and my pitfall flushed-

"You have been disconnected by your provider. Have a nice day."

Time elapsed: 00:00:28

I call this the General Veers style of practice.

That's kinda how I do things IRL too with these people....

 

[turkeyjerky]

The project I do is 3 minutes scheduled. Granted it's limited scope. I have quick speech I give them then let them ask any questions. Most people I can get done in 2 minutes or so, which keeps me on schedule. Rarely I'll have the patient who asks tons of questions. I politely tell them that it's beyond the scope of what we can accomplish in 3 minutes, and hopefully get them off the line. We fortunately have a an outside messaging site which I can direct them to in order to ask any additional questions.

Men's health?

 

[GeneralVeers]

Men's health?

Yes. I think telemedicine is only lucrative for us if kept in a very narrow scope. It's easy to keep patients on track, or punt to their "regular doctor" that way.

 

[BanuCanada]

Who does the paperwork for the consults?

 

[emergentmd]

No real consults. I just tell them to go to the ER if they need immediate follow up. Otherwise call their PCP in the AM for referrals.

Teledoc is quite easy. It is either a script for a zpak, its viral and do nothing, see your PCP tomorrow, or go to the ER . Kind of mindless work.