Telehealth is a disruptive technology, according to a recent article in Health Affairs. It will fundamentally change the way care is delivered in this country, but has the potential to improve care access and quality while reducing costs.
A healthcare organization that wants to implement a successful telehealth program should incorporate the following seven strategies into its plan, according to the article.
1. Understand the patients' and providers' expectations and concerns. While clinicians remain the preferred source of health information, patients are increasingly going online for health resources or support communities — 80 percent of adult Internet users have done so. While telehealth seems to combine the desired professional information with the convenience of accessing a health resource from home, patients have privacy concerns and must be assured their information is confidential and secure.
Similarly, providers want to use available technology to provide the best care possible for their patient, but need to know the information is secure. Providers also have hesitations about insufficient bandwidth for seamless communication, and competition from less expensive providers who can now connect to their patients remotely.
2. Readjust revenue expectations. Although telehealth encounters may not be reimbursed at the same level as traditional office visits, if at all, they should be seen as helping to avoid expensive hospitalizations or emergency visits.
3. Find the efficiencies in moving from office visits to telehealth. Providers should deconstruct the traditional office visit to find the activities that could be most efficiently done remotely, such as appointment scheduling, prescription refills and post-discharge follow-ups. These are the activities that should be relegated to telehealth, increasing efficiency for the provider.
4. Be open to discovery. Telehealth is a quickly advancing field, with new technologies, such as remote patient monitoring and telestroke networks, emerging constantly. Providers should be open to the benefits of these new technologies, and have a telehealth program flexible to incorporate new innovations.
5. Recognize the importance of space. Although one of the main benefits of telehealth is that care can be delivered without the patient coming to the office, both the patient and provider still need to be in an appropriate, private space during the encounter. Even if a virtual consult seems more efficient than an in-person visit, providers should be aware that very sensitive or personal conversations might best be held within the walls of the healthcare facility.
6. Focus on improving care. All telehealth programs should strive to meet the Institute of Medicine's six dimensions of care quality: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable.
7. Be bold and visionary. Providers implementing telehealth programs should work to be as forward-thinking as possible about the applications and potential benefits of the technology.
More Articles on Telehealth:
10 Biggest Technological Advancements for Healthcare in the Last Decade
Top Physician Uses of Smartphones, Tablets
New Mississippi Program to Connect Rural Diabetics with Specialists via Telehealth