My Weight Doctor, Rockville, Maryland, USA
Founded in 2003, My Weight Doctor provides holistic weight loss treatment programs to thousands of patients in Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., New Jersey, North Carolina and Georgia. With an experienced team of physicians, nutritionists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, My Weight Doctor aims to create a customized weight loss plan for each individual patient, based on a thorough medical and lifestyle evaluation. Even after a patient has reached their weight loss goal, the practice provides ongoing treatment, support and motivation to help them maintain their healthy lifestyle. As a result of its efforts, My Weight Doctor has a 95 percent success rate, positioning itself as one of the leading weight management practices in the U.S.
Due to the success of its extensive approach, My Weight Doctor has been rapidly expanding, growing from one clinic at inception to five by the end of the 2011. In order to keep up with patient demand, the practice custom-developed its own electronic medical record (EMR) system to track all of the various medical services it provides, as well as administrative tasks. Thanks to this technology, doctors are able to review patient records from any of the practice locations and connect instantly with specialists. However, the management team at My Weight Doctor sought to take this collaboration a step further and enable genuine human interaction through lifelike HD video conferencing.
Beyond improving communication among doctors and specialists, My Weight Doctor wanted its entire staff to work together, regardless of their geographic location. Staff meetings were typically held at the location in D.C., making it extremely difficult for staff members in Maryland and Virginia to attend. Not only did this lead to frustration among employees, it reduced the number of meetings the firm could have due to the complexity of travel. With HD video conferencing, the firm believed they had found the solution to its problems.
My Weight Doctor’s management team began evaluating various video conferencing solutions from major vendors.
“LifeSize impressed me from the beginning,” said Kavan J. Shaban, management consultant of My Weight Doctor. “What stood out most to me was the ease of deployment and outstanding ROI. The other vendors’ offerings just seemed so fragmented. Additionally, we needed a system that was interoperable with ShoreTel and our existing communications environment. LifeSize was intuitive, simple and overall, provided the HD quality we were seeking.”
Almost immediately, medical and administrative professionals at the firm began utilizing LifeSize Express 200 and LifeSize Express 220 endpoints throughout its locations. Through these products’ intelligent point-to-point capabilities, patients, doctors and specialists were able to connect with crystal clear video (720p30, 720p60 and 1080p30) and echo-free audio. My Weight Doctor even attached LifeSize codecs and cameras to portable carts to transport the system from exam rooms to conference rooms with ease.
Suddenly, patients did not have to wait weeks before they were able to travel to meet a specialist, they could instantly connect with specialists over an HD video call during an exam. Simultaneously, doctors can use dual screens to see the patient and review their EMR at the same time. Staff meetings were no longer painful for remote employees; they can attend from the comfort of their own office. If a physician was sick and unable to reschedule their appointments, another doctor could dial-in and pick up right where they left off. It was as if the miles between practices vanished.
My Weight Doctor is now using LifeSize in almost every area of their business, from training new doctors to providing continuing medical education and it doesn’t stop there. The firm is now developing an entire web-based EMR system to connect with patients over mobile devices. They plan to use LifeSize technology to allow patients to see their trusted physicians face to face from the comfort of their own homes during the maintenance phase of treatment.
Additionally, the medical firm conducts their own continuing medical education (CME) classes in which the medical director shares new trends, hosts Q&A sessions and shares essential information with his team. Doctors also use these classes to present patient case studies to gain insight and advice from one another. LifeSize Video Center is used to record these classes so absent doctors can view the classes at a later date and receive certified, board-recognized Level II CME credit.
“LifeSize is one of the most important tools in our medical office,” said Shaban. “Beyond the administrative help it provides, the true result has been better patient care. Our patients mean everything to us and this technology helps us provide the best, most efficient treatment possible.”
My Weight Doctor believes that the most important aspect of the medical treatment is between doctor and patient.
“Once a bond is created and the two individuals trust one another, true weight loss success can be achieved. LifeSize facilitates that relationship for us,” said Shaban.
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