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healow TeleVisits is the native, HIPAA-compliant virtual care and synchronous video consultation platform built into the eClinicalWorks (eCW) Electronic Health Record (EHR) and patient engagement suite. Operated by healow (Health & Online Wellness, the patient-facing subsidiary of eClinicalWorks, LLC), healow TeleVisits connects ambulatory physicians, behavioral health specialists, and decentralized clinical research coordinators with patients via encrypted WebRTC browser links sent by SMS text message or email, writing patient-submitted pre-visit questionnaires, self-measured vital signs, and visit timestamps directly into the eClinicalWorks V12 Progress Note without external middleware.
Who Runs healow TeleVisits and What the Platform Covers
Developed and maintained by eClinicalWorks, LLC (headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts) under its healow division, healow TeleVisits serves as the embedded telehealth engine across the eClinicalWorks cloud EHR ecosystem (`eclinicalworks healow` / `ecw telehealth`). Unlike standalone video conferencing applications that require manual window switching or third-party HL7 v2 scheduling interfaces, healow TeleVisits operates directly inside the eCW Resource Schedule and Progress Note database:
- Multi-Channel Access (App-Free WebRTC Browser, healow Mobile App, and Patient Portal): Patients can join a scheduled TeleVisit from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop browser (Safari, Chrome, Edge, or Firefox) via a tokenized SMS or email deep link without downloading an application or remembering a portal password, or they can launch the session from inside the authenticated healow iOS/Android mobile app or web Patient Portal.
- Integrated Pre-Visit Intake and Vital-Sign Capture: Before entering the virtual waiting room, the patient is prompted to complete specialty-specific clinical questionnaires (such as PHQ-9, GAD-7, Review of Systems, or study screening forms) and optional home vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, weight, temperature, blood glucose, or pulse oximetry via healow RPM connected devices).
- Native Ambient AI Documentation (`Sunoh.ai`): Inside eClinicalWorks V12, providers can activate eClinicalWorks AI Scribe powered by Sunoh.ai directly within the healow TeleVisit window to transcribe multi-speaker virtual encounters and draft structured HPI, Assessment, Plan, and staged orders in real time.
- Group Visits and Multi-Participant Conferencing: Supports 1-to-1 clinical consultations, multi-party family/interpreter joins, and moderator-controlled group behavioral health or chronic disease education sessions.
How to Use healow TeleVisits in eClinicalWorks: Step-by-Step Clinical Workflow
The following 6-step workflow describes how clinical and administrative staff configure, launch, and document a virtual encounter using the official eClinicalWorks and healow TeleVisits interface terms:
- Enable TeleVisit Visit Types and SMS Reminders (`Patient Portal Admin Dashboard`):
- In eClinicalWorks, navigate to the Patient Portal Admin Dashboard > TeleVisit Settings / TeleVisit SMS Reminder Settings.
- Configure the visit types designated for telehealth (e.g.,
TVISIT), attach default pre-visit clinical questionnaires, and set the automated SMS/email reminder dispatch interval (typically 15 to 30 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment start time).
- Schedule the Appointment on the eCW Resource Schedule:
- Book the patient on the provider’s schedule using an enabled TeleVisit visit type. The system automatically queues the encrypted email confirmation and SMS text link containing the single-use session token.
- Patient Completes Pre-Visit Questionnaires, Vitals, and Hardware Check:
- When the patient taps the SMS text link or opens the healow app, the interface verifies identity (via date of birth or portal authentication) and displays the assigned Questionnaires screen followed by the Vitals entry screen (patients without home monitoring devices can leave optional fields blank and tap Submit Vitals).
- The browser executes an automated WebRTC compatibility check (testing camera, microphone, speaker, and bandwidth) before presenting the Start TeleVisit button.
- Monitor the Virtual Waiting Room (`TeleVisit Jellybean / Office Visits Screen`):
- Once the patient taps Start TeleVisit, they enter the virtual waiting room. On the clinician’s eClinicalWorks Office Visits screen, the TeleVisit jellybean (status counter) increments and displays an arrival indicator showing the exact wait duration and confirming that pre-visit questionnaires have been submitted.
- Launch the Video Session and Import Intake Data Into the Progress Note:
- The provider opens the patient’s Progress Note from the Office Visits screen or TeleVisit queue and clicks Start TeleVisit. The live video panel docks directly alongside the patient’s chart, allowing simultaneous review of labs, medications, and eClinicalWorks PRISMA health information exchange records.
- With one click, the provider imports the patient-submitted questionnaires and home vitals directly into the HPI, ROS, and Vitals sections of the Progress Note, and optionally toggles Sunoh.ai ambient listening to draft the clinical narrative.
- End the Call, Complete Time-Based or MDM Coding, and Lock the Note:
- When the provider clicks End Call, eClinicalWorks automatically logs the exact TeleVisit start timestamp, end timestamp, and total connection duration in the encounter audit trail—supporting CMS Medicare telehealth time-based or Medical Decision Making (MDM) Evaluation and Management (E/M) coding with Place of Service (POS)
10(patient’s home) or POS02(other telehealth site).
- When the provider clicks End Call, eClinicalWorks automatically logs the exact TeleVisit start timestamp, end timestamp, and total connection duration in the encounter audit trail—supporting CMS Medicare telehealth time-based or Medical Decision Making (MDM) Evaluation and Management (E/M) coding with Place of Service (POS)
Strengths and Operational Limits of healow TeleVisits
Strengths
- Zero External Interface Overhead for eCW Practices: Because healow TeleVisits shares the underlying eClinicalWorks database, clinics avoid building or maintaining HL7 v2
SIU/ADTscheduling channels or third-party SMART on FHIR launch configurations. - App-Free SMS Deep Links Reduce Technical No-Shows: Elderly and low-digital-literacy patients can join directly through mobile Safari or Chrome via SMS text link without downloading an app or resetting a forgotten Patient Portal password.
- Automated Start/Stop Duration Audit Logging: Built-in session timers record exact connection minutes inside the Progress Note for E/M time-threshold compliance and payer audits.
Operational Limits
- Locked to the eClinicalWorks Ecosystem: healow TeleVisits is purpose-built for eClinicalWorks practices; health systems operating Epic, Oracle Health (Cerner), MEDITECH, or athenaOne cannot deploy healow TeleVisits as a standalone cross-EHR telehealth platform.
- Browser Permission Friction on Locked Mobile Devices: If a patient accidentally blocks camera or microphone permissions in mobile Safari or Chrome when prompted, the browser requires manual site-permission resetting in OS settings before WebRTC media streams can initialize.
Telehealth Platform Alternatives Compared
For health systems evaluating telehealth platform architecture across single-EHR versus multi-EHR environments, the table below compares healow TeleVisits against three major clinical telehealth alternatives:
| Platform | Primary EHR Alignment | Patient Access Modality | Pre-Visit Intake & Vitals Write-Back | Ambient AI Scribe Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| healow TeleVisits | Exclusive to eClinicalWorks (eCW) V12 | SMS/email browser link, healow iOS/Android app, or web Patient Portal | Native write-back of questionnaires, ROS, and home vitals directly into eCW Progress Note | Native Sunoh.ai ambient listening inside the eCW TeleVisit window |
| Doxy.me | EHR-agnostic (standalone or SMART on FHIR launch) | Static personalized clinic room URL (`doxy.me/RoomName`) in mobile/desktop browser | Custom waiting-room intake forms; requires manual copy or enterprise FHIR integration for EHR write-back | Built-in Doxy.me AI Scribe or third-party browser extension scribes |
| Zoom for Healthcare | Multi-EHR (deep Epic MyChart/Hyperspace & Oracle Health SMART on FHIR apps) | Zoom Workplace app or mobile web client launched via EHR patient portal | Handled by the host EHR portal (e.g., Epic MyChart eCheck-In) prior to video launch | Zoom AI Companion for Healthcare or integrated DAX Copilot / Abridge |
| OpenEMR Telehealth (Comlink / Jitsi) | Open-source (OpenEMR GNU GPL v3) | Browser-based WebRTC session launched from the OpenEMR Onsite Patient Portal | Native OpenEMR portal intake questionnaires and HL7 FHIR R4 resource storage | Integrates with external open-source or API-based clinical transcription tools |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is healow televisits?
healow TeleVisits is the HIPAA-compliant telehealth and virtual care module developed by eClinicalWorks under its healow patient-engagement brand. It allows clinicians using the eClinicalWorks EHR to conduct encrypted video consultations with patients via smartphone, tablet, or computer web browsers using automated SMS text links, the healow mobile app, or the web Patient Portal.
How is healow televisits used in clinical research and healthcare?
In ambulatory healthcare and decentralized clinical research, healow TeleVisits is used to conduct remote follow-up visits, behavioral health therapy, chronic care management check-ins, and remote study participant assessments. Before the video call begins, the platform collects structured patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires and home vital-sign measurements, syncing those data points—alongside exact call duration logs and Sunoh.ai ambient documentation—directly into the eClinicalWorks V12 Progress Note.
Sources
- eClinicalWorks, LLC & healow. healow TeleVisits & Telehealth Solutions Product Documentation. https://www.eclinicalworks.com/products-services/healow-telehealth/
- healow (Health & Online Wellness). Patient and Provider Guide to healow TeleVisits. https://www.healow.com/
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Telehealth.hhs.gov: HIPAA-Compliant Telehealth Technology & Medicare Billing Guidelines. https://telehealth.hhs.gov/
