The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed the way health care professionals serve their patients. Over the past three years, a huge proportion of care has shifted to the virtual landscape as clinicians and patients search for a safe, convenient and reliable way to receive needed care.
A recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association found that the benefits of telehealth — namely, reduced costs, improved access and increased quality and patient satisfaction — are especially important for those with cardiovascular disease, which disproportionately affects people in underrepresented groups who often face barriers to health care access.1 However, the statement also noted that limitations remain on using telehealth to serve those in rural and under-resourced communities.
As telehealth use continues at levels 38 times higher than before the pandemic, the American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, can help health care professionals demonstrate their commitment to telehealth through its professional education offerings.2
“Evidence suggests telehealth can transform the health care system, making health care more effective, accessible and efficient, particularly for those who otherwise lack access to quality health care,” says Edwin Takahashi, M.D., lead author of the scientific statement and a specialist in vascular and interventional radiology and cardiac imaging at Mayo Clinic. “In addition, telehealth can help mitigate physician burnout by reducing clinicians’ drive times and allowing more time for direct patient care.”
As part of its longstanding commitment to ensuring equitable access to high-quality health care, the American Heart Association offers an extensive telehealth training portfolio through its Intelligo Professional Education Hub™. Among these offerings is the unique CORE (Clinical, Operational, Regulatory and Ethics) Concepts in Telehealth Certificate Program. This learning certificate program provides a comprehensive curriculum enabling the learner to develop knowledge of telehealth concepts for successful implementation and delivery across a broad spectrum of service areas.
In addition to the certificate offering, a Telehealth Professional Certification exam for clinicians and professionals is being launched to provide accredited certification credentials. This will be among the first individual certification available to health care professionals through the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association has a longstanding tradition of certifying high-quality health care organizations and now will offer that same gold standard to individual professionals.
The CORE Concepts in Telehealth program includes modules on telepresence skills, legal and regulatory issues, licensing and credentialing, reimbursement, ethical considerations and more. Health care professionals interested in a proven education model to ensure they are prepared for virtual care delivery can use this course to validate their knowledge and demonstrate their commitment to telehealth care delivery.
“The explosion of telehealth use demonstrates a need for telehealth-centric learning to improve the standard of care,” said Andrew Watson, M.D., member of the American Heart Association’s telehealth expert panel and a practicing surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “The American Heart Association’s CORE Concepts in Telehealth certification is a way for health care professionals to ensure they are providing the highest standard of care in this evolving delivery system.”
Learn more about the American Heart Association’s professional telehealth education on the Intelligo Professional Education Hub.
1 E Takahashi et al. An Overview of Telehealth in the Management of Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. November 14, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001107.
2 O Bestsennyy et al. Telehealth: A quarter-trillion-dollar post-COVID-19 reality? McKinsey & Company. July 9, 2021. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/telehealth-a-quarter-trillion-dollar-post-covid-19-reality.