Telehealth
Telemedicine/Telehealth
Definitions
Telemedicine is the practice of treating patients using technology to deliver care with the clinician and patient at distant sites.
Telehealth is a term used to describe the use of electronic and telecommunication technology and services to provide care from a distance.
Pros and Cons
Advantages: reduced journey to appointments, shorter response times with communication, easier for medical collaboration between healthcare professionals, easier to share medical information
Disadvantages: technology malfunction, poor internet connectivity, difficult for technologically challenged staff, cost to implement, reimbursement challenges, lack of implementation models, unable to complete manual assessments and treatments
There are 4 Types of Telehealth
Synchronous Telehealth – the real-time/live interaction of the provider with the patient/client via video communication or live chat. This involves the use of computers, tablets, or phones.
- Examples: Zoom, VSEE, Vidyo, Doxy.me
Remote Patient Monitoring – record and monitor a patient/clients health data remotely using medical devices
- Examples: heart monitory, diabetes monitors, step tracker
Store-and-Forward Telemedicine (Asynchronous Telehealth) – collecting and storing a patient/client’s medical information that can be retrieved by another treating healthcare professional.
- Examples are video recorded visits, medical imaging, health history using cloud-based medical information storage technology
Mobile Health – the use of smartphones and apps that track and monitor a patient’s or client’s health; such as, heart rate, blood pressure, activity level, sleep cycles, dietary plan.
Factors to Consider when Implementing a Telemedicine System
Resources
American Academy of Family Physicians. (2021). What’s the difference between telemedicine and telehealth. https://www.aafp.org/news/media-center/kits/telemedicine-and-telehealth.html
Kruse CS, Karem P, Shifflett K, Vegi L, Ravi K, Brooks M. (2018) Evaluating barriers to adopting telemedicine worldwide: a systematic review. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 24(1), 4-12.
Larsen F, Gjerdrum E, Obstfelder A, Lundvoll L. (2003) Implementing telemedicine services in northern Norway: barriers and facilitators. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 9(1), S17-18.
Maheu. (2020, August 6). Four Types of Telehealth: Advantages and Uses. Telebehavioral Health Institute. https://telehealth.org/four-types-of-telehealth/
Stronge AJ, Rogers WA, Fisk AD. (2007) Human factors considerations in implementing telemedicine systems to accommodate older adults. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 13, 1-3.