If you are trying to figure out how to best fit telehealth into your current practice of care, but are intimidated by the undertaking, fear not – the benefits of doing so will pay off. Telemedicine has been around for decades, but it has recently transformed into a more frequently used and trustworthy method of making medical care more attainable to vulnerable populations while also providing a helping hand to physicians. For these reasons and many more, implementing and maintaining telemedicine within your facility is an ideal route to take as the digital sphere becomes more widespread – and necessary – in healthcare.
With proper education and training, telehealth can become part of your everyday workflow and more beneficial for your physicians and staff members. Here are a few reasons why your care facility shouldn’t be intimidated by telemedicine:
1. Ease of use
“Navigating telehealth can become second nature for your staff members in no time.”
The biggest source of intimidation of telehealth usually stems from getting ready to learn how to use the new system and the fear of adding yet another system, if you have already gone through the EMR implementation. However, navigating telehealth can become second nature for your physicians and staff members in no time. The key to success is to select a telehealth solution that fits within your existing workflow and be sure to provide dedicated resources for ample training before setting a live date. Once your team members have become acclimated to the new processes, they’ll find it difficult to believe they ever worked without the technology in the first place.
2. Better collaboration between physicians
When patients need to seek treatment from more than one health care provider, it can be difficult for staff members to collaborate in a timely manner and communicate effectively. Telemedicine can make this task more seamless throughout your organization and partnering specialty groups. Sharing digital notes and having shared video conference calls with the patients saves time and effort from both ends of the spectrum.
3. Convenience
Two of the most common barriers to receiving quality care is lack of transportation and location, both of which can keep vulnerable patients in need from visiting a specialist. Using telemedicine in your facility means adding a new layer of convenience to those individuals who don’t live nearby. Instead of missing an appointment or showing up late due to distance, they can visit a nearby care center and reach a remote specialist using telehealth solutions.
Telemedicine can grant access to care to vulnerable patients.
4. Overall care quality
Because individuals living in rural communities have limited access to nearby specialized facilities, this mean they’re less likely to receive the targeted, specialized care they need. Providing access to those in need via telemedicine shows that you take each patients’ health seriously, no matter where they live. Telehealth can open doors for new patients and make your facility more prominent in terms of specialized care.
5. Reduced need for follow-up care
Telemedicine enables physicians to maintain steady relationships with patients, checking in on a condition more often without the need to visit an office. This can reduce the need to bring patients in for follow-up care. In fact, a study by the Alliance for Connected Care found that 83 percent of patients who needed attention were completely taken care of during telehealth visits. This translated to less than one in five patients needing to seek additional treatment in a follow-up visit.
At AMD, we want to empower your facility to deliver the best quality care possible. With our digital technology and telehealth solutions, we believe we can do just that. We can provide your organization with personalized telemedicine solutions that enable your physicians and health care providers to reach all patients, regardless of their location or other common barriers to receiving care. We’ll help you through the implementation stage and beyond so all of your staff members beat the intimidation and feel comfortable using telemedicine.
Learn more about encounter management software, carts, systems and other telehealth solutions offered by AMD today.
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