How to Get A Telemedicine Physician Job That is Right for You

 Guide to Selecting the Right Job Opportunity in Telemedicine

Roles in telemedicine involve caring for patients remotely when a healthcare specialist is not physically present with the patient using real time video technology. This is extremely useful as it allows medical services to be provided in emergency situations and improves medical services in areas where such responses may not be traditionally viable such as in distant rural communities. Remote Telemedicine jobs can be an excellent way for you to supplement your earnings from your usual work as a doctor in a physical clinic. 

There are two main types of telemedicine jobs: synchronous telemedicine and asynchronous telemedicine. Synchronous telemedicine involves a medical visit that occurs in “real-time”, where you will be able to interact with a patient via a virtual patient-doctor consult, for example through a secure video platform. 

Asynchronous telemedicine, which is also called store-and-forward, is when a doctor or healthcare provider reviews a patient’s medical details or prescription at a separate time, without any live interaction involving the patient. 

Any information pertaining to your patients such as medical assessments, prescriptions, x-rays or related documents are securely stored within the cloud or a specialized database. This collection of information can then be forwarded to you or another specialist for review and clinical evaluation.

Why are More Doctors Looking for Remote Telemedicine Jobs?

In the Pre-Covid era of healthcare innovation, many doctors were hesitant to adopt certain technologies due to fears of liabilities, errors and perhaps the perception of job losses due to automations. Many were also skeptical about the true value of a healthtech or medtech solution in the absence of realistic evidence-based proof of effectiveness and safety for their patient population. 

When livelihoods and personal safety was at stake, there was an almost overnight adoption of telehealth solutions (including remote patient monitoring, wearables, patient-driven electronic health records) and telemedicine never seen before in the decades that such technologies were available in small niche settings. The leniency of health sector regulations was an added promotor of healthtech adoption by doctors as well.

Additionally there has been an underbelly of career dissatisfaction amongst healthcare professionals. Physician burnouts are at an all time high, manifesting at unsustainable levels due to covid-related duties, covid restrictions and an increasing number of unemployment and/or furloughs from major health centers (due to decrease in elective procedures).

Many physicians have voiced their grievances about increasing job stresses, poor reimbursements, high liability claims and general ennui with their healthcare careers. 

Physician career dissatisfaction can in many cases be attributed to loss of professional autonomy and a yearning for some degree of financial freedom. With increasing debts and decreasing income sources, possible due to lower reimbursements from insurers and third party payers (due to economic pressures), many healthcare professionals are actively seeking alternative career paths.

Telemedicine as a career choice is now perceived as a possible alternative that may ensure work-life balance, greater job freedom and a way to take back control of their professional career choices.

What are the Key Roles & Responsibilities for Telemedicine Doctors?

The audio video component of telemedicine has various advantages and disadvantages related to current technologies and logistics of remote patient access. Nonetheless video-based telemedicine has great scope in enhancing the communication and consultative role of the doctor-patient relationship.

Through focused history taking in relaxed environments ie. the patients’ own home, a more wholesome dialogue can occur without a hurried pace. Using optimised scheduling, comprehensive billing systems and stable internet connectivity for all parties; a telemedicine session can yield a better assessment of a patient’s health complaints with an in depth discussion on social determinants of health - a silent prognostic marker for how effective a patient’s health may be improved based on their influence of their intimate surrounding. 

Telemedicine Provider roles may involve:

●  Working as a psychiatrist in order to deliver psychiatric medication evaluations and treatments through a virtual clinic

●  Working as a remote telemedicine physician in order to advise patients on nutrition and weight-related matters and being responsible for curating a customized plan

●  Working as a telemedicine primary care physician where you will work to provide primary care medicine and diagnose patients of all ages remotely

●  Working within a telemedicine role involving the evaluation of patient data for prescribing medication such as emergency contraception or birth control

Depending on your level of experience and how many years you have been in practice you may also be able to apply for more specialized roles within the telemedicine field. Specialist telemedicine roles will additionally provide higher rates of pay in comparison to other telemedicine roles, due to their specificity.

What Specialities are Ideal for Remote Telemedicine Jobs?

Telemedicine settings are ideal for communication based interactions with the patient and the caregivers. Although the physical examination and remote diagnostics is not possible (using current technology), an intuitive physician with the right rapport-building capacity, also known as ‘webside manners’ may be able to carry out a comprehensive oral history of the patients’ ailments.

Specialities that rely mostly on analytical consulting, behavioural counselling, lifestyle management and remote second opinions (or coming up with differential diagnoses) are perfect for telemedicine visits, especially follow ups, pre-interventional discussions and post-operative care.

These are examples of the most in demand telemedicine speciality searches on Google by patients:

• Psychologists near me
• Online Psychiatrists in [city name]
• Mental health support online
• Good online pediatrician
• Online Child specialist booking
• Telemedicine appointment family medicine
• Radiology second opinion
• Telemedicine Cardiologist
• Online endocrinologist consult near me

Potential areas for telemedicine specialists can include:

●  Working within Urology to diagnose patient’s chronic urinary tract disorders via remote video visits

●  Working within Cardiology to aid patients who may be affected by cardiovascular disease and congenital heart defects

●  Working within infectious disease to help patients with infectious diseases by prescribing medications, tracking symptom progression and responding to unforeseen side effects

●  Working within Dermatology to perform routine skin assessments, diagnose rashes or patches of skin and provide treatment options

You may also be interested in roles within telehealth, which involves the delivery and facilitation of medical health-related services via digital communication technologies and telecommunications. Telehealth refers to a wider scope of remote health care services in comparison to Telemedicine which refers to remote clinical services.

What Kind of Jobs are Available in Telemedicine?

From the nature of remote telecommunication, healthcare activities structured around initial communication and follow up management (such as regimen compliance) can be utilised and structured as primary patient engagement and then tertiary level support. Secondary clinical management refers to active interventions and procedures (surgeries, treatments, chemotherapy, applying or removing casts and other activities that require a specialised hands-on approach)

Primary care telemedicine is the most common form involving acute care management of usually non-acute non-emergent health issues such as upper respiratory tract infections, superficial injuries, gastrointestinal issues, general healthcare advice eg. contraception, Covid-19 vaccination, medication side effects, prescription refills and arranging referrals.

Tertiary-level Telemedicine is a highly specialised service mostly given by large hospital centers leveraging their pool of healthcare consultants and experts. This type of telemedicine serves to integrate a continuity of care process for complex illnesses and chronic diseases already pre-diagnosed and patients have already been on some kind of clinical management. There is a potential for cross-speciality and even international collaborations for professional clinical discussions

Examples of Telehealth Jobs for Doctors & Specialists may include:

●  Telehealth Physician where you may be responsible for assisting patients managing chronic health conditions, formulating treatment plans for non-threatening conditions such as urinary tract infections, common colds and allergies, asking patients situation-specific questions in order to give an accurate diagnosis and maintaining accurate patient record details

●  Telehealth MAT within Addiction Medication where you may be responsible for aiding patients virtually who are starting a Naloxone/Buprenorphine treatment, forming relationships, collaborating with the rest of the care team to give comprehensive quality care to the patient and checking in with patients during their first 10 days of treatment to help promote a smooth transition

●  Working as a Telehealth Nephrologist where you may be responsible for helping to enhance the management of patients who are affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) by providing virtual consultations and visits and utilising current cutting edge tele-nephrology technology and services.

Telehealth specialist roles are also in great demand due to specialists being responsible for offering more advanced types of care in comparison to primary physicians. This means that there are often a lot less specialists available for patients to visit locally which makes remote communication essential in helping patients manage advanced conditions.

Additional Roles for Telehealth Specialists can include:

●  Working within telestroke programs to help patients who may be exhibiting signs of stroke and providing swift diagnosis and treatment

●  Working with individuals who may be in Intensive Care

●  Working with patients who are affected by cancer and aiding with their treatment and management plan

●  Working with patients suffering from severe or rare skin conditions

●  Working within specialized paediatric care for example neuromuscular and orthopaedic care

How Much Does a Telemedicine Doctor make?

The average telemedicine physician salary in the United States is $216,958. While some telehealth companies will pay you per consultation some companies will pay you hour by hour. Hourly rates can range anywhere from $15 to $50 per hour however some companies pay between $100 and $150. 

The yearly salary range can be anywhere from $30,000 to $500,000 with a median average of $192,454 as of 2020 (before taxes); however, your specific salary will be dependent on a variety of factors such as whether you work as a part-time telemedicine physician or as a full-time telemedicine physician. It will also vary depending on the location where you choose to practise as well as whether you are performing in a specialized area or providing more general care.

Telemedicine Family Medicine physicians often earn between $15 and $200 per hour, with an average yearly rate of $191,202. More specialized roles such as Telemedicine Psychiatrists earn between $25 and $181 an hour, averaging $189,000 a year and Telemedicine Cardiologists between $50-200 per hour, with an average yearly rate of $464,000. Those within Telemedicine Paediatrics who work with children make $45-100 per hour, with an average yearly rate of $190,000.

Additionally, your compensation will also depend on whether you are working for a telemedicine company or are self-employed. There are certain telemedicine startups that offer more competitive incomes due to their unique value proposition and the calibre of their niche specialities.

Depending on their practice regulations, the company business model and the ability of the provider to leverage their highly sought after clinical expertise (in an ever shrinking doctor shortage situation), certain specialists may be able to earn a sizable income, provided the right professional branding and consultation fee structure is in their favour. 

How to Become a Telemedicine Physician

QUALIFICATIONS, LICENSES, ATTRIBUTES, INSURANCE 

In order to become a telemedicine physician, it is important that your medical CV is accurate and well presented. It is important to only put your best accomplishments and most important details on your resume so that it does not exceed more than a few pages in length, which can become more difficult for a recruiter to go through as they do not spend a significant time viewing each resume. 

It is important that your resume is organized in chronological order, so that it is easier to read as well as making sure to update your licence details and the current status of any board certifications you may have such as ensuring expired certifications and unrenewed licenses are not listed. This process may also aid you in figuring out any future licencing or certifications you may need to complete.

It is also important to have a clean, professional quality care record. Your quality care record refers to any regulatory or legal enforcement you may have incurred as a practising physician including federal issues with the NHS or DEA, state medical board enforcement or cases of malpractice. 

It is also important to give your availability accurately especially if you practise full time in order to ensure that you are available to remotely assist patients when required and to prevent any overlaps with your full-time job or other commitments.

Prior training is not a prerequisite for many telehealth jobs therefore many telehealth care providers receive basic training via their telehealth company using company-specific software.

Additionally, it is important that you have multiple medical licences, which will not only increase the amount of telemedicine roles which are available to you, but you will also be able to aid a greater number of patients who may not have previously been able to access your services. 

Primarily, you should seek to have a licence in either New York, California, Texas or Florida due to their large populations. It may also help if you pursue licencing in one of the Federation of State Medical Boards Interstate Medical Licensure Compact states such as Montana, Ohio and North Carolina. You can also utilize medical licence companies who can streamline the process of acquiring your licence for a specific state.

Malpractice coverage is a necessary requirement to avoid any legal risks with telemedicine. Although such occurrences are a rarity compared to other specialities, due to increasing use of telehealth, wearable technology and telemedicine it is predicted that there may be an added possibility for adverse experiences. Preemptively, specialists interested to join a telemedicine platform may consider acquiring a professional S-Corp or PLLC status to mitigate future risks and liabilities.

It is strongly advised to discuss this matter with your legal representative.

How do I Search for Remote Telemedicine Jobs Online?

The process for looking for a telemedicine job is similar to the process of looking for many other jobs. A good place for you to start can be online job boards which will feature telemedicine positions alongside other non-healthcare centred roles or utilizing a healthcare specific job board. 

If you do not have much time to research or would like your options presented to you, using a telehealth clinician network may be a more efficient and less time-consuming process in helping you acquire work. 

This is because a telemedicine network will source any healthcare opportunities for you and these opportunities will have been pre-vetted and inspected to ensure their suitability and perks.

There are many factors that you will have to take into consider such as whether you want to work in telemedicine full time or as a side gig, how many hours you are available to work, whether or not you are able to perform a specialized role, if you are suitably insured and locations where you are licensed to practise.

Some of the most prominent telemedicine companies which you may like to investigate as a starting point include Teladoc, MeMD, iCliniq, MDLIVE and Doctor on Demand. Additionally, you may look into setting up your own telemedicine services on a self-employed basis.

Linkedin is a convenient professional social platform to search for specific telemedicine opportunities that fit with your expectations and contexts. It is advisable to upgrade the content of your Linkedin profile, with your latest achievements, specific skills, scanned copies of your certificates and resume to be well prepared in advance. The Linkedin Job Portal allows for prospective applicants to easily view the details of the Telemedicine Job Ad, the Company details and even the professional character of the company staff and corporate executives in many cases.

The Linkedin search algorithm relies on a ‘Boolean search methodology’ whereby you may enter specific job requirements such as the role, whether you prefer remote, part time versus full time and even city/state depending on your professional licensure.

Summarized Attributes of Top Telehealth Candidates

1. Focused and Accurate Medical CV - with relevant clinical skills (a professional resume builder may be hired through Fiverr)

2. Good "Webside" Manner - prior experience with virtual care is useful

3. Clean Quality Care Record - recruiters may be obliged to carry out a comprehensive background check as per company policy

4. Personal Accountability - the applicant should appreciate that though there is freedom to design your own schedules, one must be disciplined to actually honour a scheduled appointment and ‘be on time’ with consistent high quality as the profession demands.

5. Basic Telehealth Training - There are various online course which may educate you on the basics of virtual care best practices, however learning through immersion i.e. prior practice may be a competitive advantage compared to other applicants

6. Multi-State Medical Licenses - Depending on the nature and coverage of the telehealth platform, applicants may be required to have valid licenses according to their activities. The IMLCC or similar cross border certifications may be applicable. The basic requirement for most telemedicine providers is a valid medical license that is recognised by the local health sector regulatory body.

Key Issues to Consider When Applying Online for a Telemedicine Job

Although there is extremely high demand for the right doctor to be a part of a growing telemedicine practice, applicants should take into consideration certain criteria, not only to avoid risk exposure to unregistered or uninsured platforms, but to make sure there is a good culture fit with the platform providers (many of whom are not from the healthcare background)

When reviewing a prospective telemedicine job ad, there should be a proper detailed breakdown of the roles and responsibilities expected from their applicants eg. patient quotas,  duty timings, business model, location, types of specialities in need, will provider payments be out of pocket or subject to insurance remuneration, prescription method, patient data management, taxes (1099 vs W2), technology involved, license requirements, medical malpractice coverage and job location (remote versus on site).

The advantage of many online job portals, such Linkedin, is that the recruiter details can be scrutinised as well. You may see the details of the Company itself such as their incorporation information, social media activities, size of the company and even the professional credentials and (sometimes private) social media presence of the executives may be researched online as well.

An aspiring Telemedicine Job applicant should be cognizant of any potentially negative experiences when interacting with online recruiters. Therefore it is advisable to insist on a virtual meeting with the recruiter (the senior executives may be present to enhance credibility) so that the applicant may judge the character and overall culture of the Telemedicine Job Opportunity. 

Why Should You Apply as a VIOS Telemedicine Provider?

The VIOS platform and the VIOS+ virtual clinic are the key digital assets of ViOS, Inc. - a global conglomerate of international healthcare experts, providing very specialized telehealth consults, personalised counselling and remote second opinions. Featuring a wide variety of board-certified medical experts, with atleast 10years of clinical experience in their field, based in the US, UK and many other overseas health systems.

At ViOS, Inc., we allow for patient-guided selection of their preferred providers, via direct pay choices based on their skills, credibility and immediate availability from anywhere in the world. With a clear focus on assisting chronic disease patients (who are pre-diagnosed, prescribed management and procedures with their primary provider), our provider network has the opportunity to create personalised tertiary care content experiences in remote virtual sessions.

ViOS, Inc and its digital assets are under a comprehensive malpractice insurance coverage, that ensures a safe and secured interaction in a border-less global infrastructure, for patients and providers to interact from the comfort of their respective homes. Due to our unique cross-border internationalized service offering, we are able to respect and abide by local regulatory processes as when applicable to the users and providers. 

Citizens of any country are free to choose their preferred provider, choose to share their private health data within an encrypted environment and choose a follow up session at their convenience.

Our personalised care services allow for total patient anonymity and ownership of their data. With post-session audio-video recording of their private session made available to patients and providers immediately upon its conclusion. 

Qualified providers can be confident in practising expert tertiary care guidance and stewardship of their concierge-style virtual practice, under the same umbrella of our corporate insurance plan, as independent contractors (with or without an S-Corp/PLLC status) to provide their high demand value to high net worth international patients.

With a clear focus on value-added conversational transactions which are non-diagnostic and non-pharmaceutical, there is a great opportunity to practice global telemedicine without the hassles of complex regulatory barriers and delayed third-party payment processes. 

In the global access platform, the VIOS Providers can leverage their concierge-style digital access beyond borders, and with a much lower risk status. By delegating medico-legal responsibilities to patient preference; a precise value-based services proposition, without the onus on primary diagnosis, prescriptions and direct alteration of existing management; tertiary-level virtual consultants are at a relatively low-litigation working environment.

How Do I Apply as a VIOS Telemedicine Provider?

If you are motivated to pursue a viable career in Telemedicine, on a global scale, apply today with your own Linkedin profile. Click the link below to view the details of the Telemedicine Job Ad and upload your resume.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/jobs/view/2470559918/