(light music)
-: I'm Dr. Amir Mehrvarz,
I'm currently a hematologist oncologist
at The Everett Clinic.
I have a special interest in designing and learning ways
to improve healthcare delivery for our patients.
Currently patients with abnormal findings on their labs
or imaging often experience
a long delay during diagnostic process.
The number of providers, physicians,
and care teams that they have to contact
on their own can be overwhelming.
And the process can be costly and distressful
to patients and their families.
We plan to pilot a telehealth diagnostic clinic
with the goal of speeding up the process
of diagnosis and supporting our patients.
Patients will meet with a specialist physician virtually
via telehealth approach through their smartphone,
tablet or computer.
The visits are held in a more convenient way,
meaning they don't have to go to a doctor's office
or sit in a waiting area.
Tests including imaging, blood work or biopsies
are ordered only if necessary.
And patients are supported by our counseling teams
through the process, if needed.
By taking this initiative,
we plan to show if the clinic is effective in reducing
the time to diagnosis and initiation
of treatment if needed.
We also aim to show if the clinic is effective
in cutting down the cost and improving patient satisfaction.
Participation in this initiative is completely voluntary
and patients can go back to working
with their primary care provider at any time.
The first telehealth appointment is very important.
We will talk about abnormal finding on the lab
or imaging for which patients are referred to us.
We will talk about potential causes and the likelihood
of benefit from doing additional testing,
including imaging, blood work or biopsies.
We will pay a special attention to our patient's priorities,
ideals and perspectives.
And we will formulate a final plan together.
I would encourage patients
to be actively involved in the process,
my team and I would like to be constantly in contact
with them and they can always reach out to us
if there's any question or concern.