Cambia Health Solutions is piloting a store and forward telehealth system in two states to satisfy its member’s desire for more convenient access to healthcare. A recent survey by the Portland-based provider of health plans revealed that its health plan members ranked a description of store and forward among their top three preferences for receiving care, the company says.

Cambia health members in Oregon and Washington will be able to use the store and forward system to consult with physicians on common acute conditions such as acne, flu, sinus infections, acid reflux and STD testing, and receive prescriptions, without having to meet with a physician or over live video.

Store and forward is an asynchronous form of telemedicine that allows patients and doctors to establish an ongoing interaction through a text messaging platform, making it more convenient for a patient to initiate a consultation with a physician, and for a doctor to respond to the patient’s inquiry, without scheduling an appointment. With store and forward, physicians can review a patient’s condition and symptoms before interacting with the patient. In contrast, traditional telehealth applications connect patients and doctors at a scheduled time, typically through video.

To initiate a store and forward visit, Cambia health members answer questions on an online intake form designed to progressively narrow down a patient’s condition. Doctors can review the information when they have a break between appointments and respond to the patient with a diagnosis or follow up questions. Cambia is conducting the pilot with a select group of employers.

San Francisco-based Lemonaid Health is providing the store and forward platform and the licensed clinicians for the pilot, which began last November.

In states that require a live video visit between the doctor and the patient, Cambia will have physicians conduct an initial telehealth visit via video. Lemonaid’s platform supports video visits.

“With store and forward, patient and doctor schedules don’t have to align for a telehealth appointment,” says Brodie Dychinco, general manager, Convenient Care for Cambia Health. “Being able to message back and forth allows patients and doctors to establish an ongoing dialogue.”

While Lemonaid Health offers store and forward visits for $25, Cambia says it recently began covering the cost of those visits during the pilot. Cambia Health offers six regional health plans across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah.

The introduction of store and forward is also expected to lower the cost of care. Cambia, which offered telehealth prior to the pilot, estimates 80% of telehealth visits will replace another mode of care, such as a visit to the emergency room, a clinic or doctor’s office, creating a net reduction in health care costs.

In addition, claims analysis shows that less than 5% of telehealth visits result in an in-person follow-up visit with the same diagnosis within 7 days, the company says.

“Virtual care lowers costs for patients, is a more efficient method of delivering care, and perhaps most importantly, makes consulting with a provider more convenient and accessible for the patient,” Dychinco says.

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