If you’ve ever wondered what telehealth locum tenens is like, it can be a huge time-saver, help prevent burnout, and provide an additional revenue stream for physicians in a variety of life stages or circumstances. Telehealth locum tenens can be a lucrative alternative career or complement your traditional employment.
Let’s take a closer look at how to do telehealth locums.
What to expect when starting a telehealth locums assignment
Timeline and onboarding
Telehealth assignments can start very quickly, often within a few weeks. The hours can also vary, as telehealth physicians can work in different time zones, nights, and/or weekends. Luckily, telehealth locums also allows you to set a schedule that works for you and the telehealth company — whether it’s a few hours per week or a full-time gig.
Onboarding usually focuses on two parts: clinical operations and technology operations. The most successful physicians working in telehealth locum tenens are savvy and familiar with using many different telehealth platforms.
Licensing for telehealth locums
Telehealth companies prefer doctors with specific state licenses already in hand. The more licenses you have, the more pay you’re likely to be able to negotiate since you will be eligible to treat more patients.
Pro tip: If you want to obtain more licenses, wait until you’re already working in locums telehealth and find out what states the company wants licenses for before going ahead and getting them proactively.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) is an agreement among participating states to streamline the licensing process for traveling physicians. Joining this can make you more attractive to telehealth companies.
“I live in Florida, so I use the analogy that the IMLC is like a Disney FastPass. It allows you to move quickly through a process and get licensed in more than 30 states. It is a great avenue for physicians who are open to a lot of different places and allows physicians to be viable candidates for a slew of jobs they might not otherwise be qualified for,” says Greg Crowe, a locum tenants consultant from Weatherby Healthcare.
Many locum tenens physicians working in telehealth find the licensure logistics particularly difficult to navigate. This is where a locum tenens staffing agency may be helpful.
“When I was doing locum tenens in South Dakota, I had patients in North Dakota. So, I had to have a North Dakota license and then a DEA number since I was a prescriber. There was also a state-controlled substance license I had to get.” Dr. Kellie Sweet, pediatric neurologist says.
“Managing the licensing logistics can be quite onerous, so that's another benefit of working with a locums company such as CompHealth. They can help you keep your licensing up to date for where you are practicing telemedicine” Dr. Sweet says.
The inside scoop on licensing: Everything you need to know about locum tenens licensing
How compensation works for telehealth
Patient volume determines your pay in telehealth rather than hourly wages. Many telehealth providers are paid based on the number of patients seen, regardless of the time spent on each interaction.
Other factors affecting locum tenens telehealth pay include how and when you take your appointments. For instance, video, phone, and text messaging communications offer different pay rates. Similarly, working off-peak hours may have lower pay rates due to lower patient volume. Peak times are often nights and weekends.
Since most telehealth appointments are for urgent care, the volume of patients can fluctuate significantly and unpredictably. This can lead to variations in income from week to week.
The benefits of telehealth locums
Eliminate your commute time
If you feel limited in travel or don’t want to spend time traveling to a brick-and-mortar clinic or facility, working telehealth medicine as a locum may be a good alternative.
“As somebody constantly on the go, I feel I can always better manage my time. That is the thing that money can't buy: time. So, I find the lack of commute to be exceptionally valuable — I get to spend more time in my community,” says psychiatrist Dr. Mariam Aboukar.
Earn extra income
Many physicians want to earn additional income while looking for a new in-person opportunity. Since telehealth appointments are in the highest demand on nights and weekends, physicians with more traditional day jobs can supplement their income with these flexible placements.
Use telehealth to ease back into work
Some physicians want to ease back into their medical practices after taking time off for other pursuits and need a transitional role or a flexible position that allows a smooth re-entry into the workforce.
“I realized that I needed some time off because I was too ill; I needed time to reboot. What use am I to my patients if I am not healthy?” Dr. Aboukar says.
Other physicians may seek a gradual reintegration after a period away from their medical practice. Or perhaps they are in between commitments but would like something to fill their time in the interim.
Make outpatient follow-up visits easier
Neurology and psychiatry are just two specialties where telehealth can be more suitable for ongoing outpatient care.
“Teleneurology would be wonderful in pediatrics for follow-up appointments for say, epilepsy. If someone's stable or having seizures, we need to talk to discuss medication changes. If they have already been established and had a neurological exam, their exam is unlikely to change over time. This could be a great way to give them the care that they need via teleneurology,” neurologist Dr. Sweet says.
Fill the gaps in rural or health shortage areas
Telehealth can significantly improve healthcare access in underserved communities. Many specialties have a shortage of providers, so finding locum tenens placements in telehealth medicine can expand meaningful access.
Because telehealth eliminates the travel component of healthcare, it can improve access for patients with limited mobility or transportation options.
“Telehealth also solves some of the considerations related to the socioeconomic status of some of the patients. It takes out struggles like being unable to afford gas or getting to an appointment if a patient’s car is broken, for instance,” says Dr. Sweet.
Locum tenens placements in telehealth medicine can also effectively address provider gaps by remotely connecting patients with qualified specialists.
Avoid burnout
If you are feeling burnt out or want to quit medicine, working telehealth locum tenens placements can be a good way to continue building your career while having flexibility and work/life balance.
“I found myself really liking locums because it was flexible. You get to try different areas around the United States but aren’t necessarily married to it. You can figure out if it is a fit — see if you like the people and the environment. And telemedicine gigs go a step further: they are extremely flexible,” shares Dr. Aboukar.
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