When a physician uses videoconferencing in a patient-to-doctor consultation, he or she wants to clearly see and hear the person at the other end of the screen. To support that effort, American Well has selected technology from Vidyo that it believes will bolster its online telehealth offering.

VidyoHealth's system features high-definition, multi-point videoconferencing features for personal computers and room systems. American Well executives said the Vidyo technology will significantly improve their Online Care suite of products that physicians use for videoconferencing sessions conducted over the Internet.

American Well, a Boston, Mass.-based telehealth company, partners with health plans, delivery networks, and pharmacy chains to enable online care services that allow patients to connect live and on-demand with primary care and specialty physicians, as well as other clinicians, whenever they have a health need, from their homes or workplaces.

Providers are able to review a patient's clinical information, discuss symptoms, diagnose, and prescribe medications for anything from common illnesses such as colds, flu, and sinus infections to chronic care management, behavioral health, or nutrition.

Last month, the company launched Online Care for Providers, which enables medical practices nationwide to offer live, on-demand consultations to patients in their homes or workplaces using the Internet.

Schoenberg said a videoconferencing session on laptops or desktop computers can be set up by the health plan for its members, especially for patients who live far away or have difficulty leaving their homes, or by the physician practice for its patients, which allows for closer follow-ups and monitoring of chronic patients who need frequent care.

American Well customers will be able to take advantage of the Vidyo technology on their desktops or laptops this summer. The company also said it is working toward providing Vidyo's technology on portable devices such as smartphones and tablets.

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