Sunday, May 1, 2016

Key Steps Of Telemedicine Implementation

By Betty Smith


Hospitals and health facilities are on the verge of implementing telemedicine programs. The program comprises of virtual health coaches, telemedicine health centers and rooms, cloud-based physicians, and highly trained web consultants. With proper planning, right people, modern technology, and effective analysis of workflow, telemedicine implementation becomes an easy task. Both telemedicine and telehealth have ability to increase access to healthcare services, improve their quality, and decrease their cost. Additionally, hospitals can minimize administrative expenses and still manage to maintain an operational excellence.

One of the challenges that health facility will have to deal with during the implementation process is administrative engagement. Typically, not all members of executive team will see the value of the expensive process of implementation. As a project manager, you should strive to enlighten the members on the importance of digitizing care services. You must make them to understand that the physicians are armed with technological tools to aid them in delivery of services. Both patients and physicians understand how to use video conferencing tools, text messages, and phones. Most people are keeping in touch through a cloud-based model.

Most people are living a cloud-based lifestyle. You should conduct an intensive market research and find out its potential. Ensure the hospital has the ability to offer personalized services that address the desires of patients. You must make a point of mobilizing your administrative team to be involved with the community at different levels. Analyze the data of patients and use the results to establish the needs of communities.

Once you have identified the potential of the market, you must focus on assessing the capabilities of healthcare facilities. In case the service that is demanded by the community surpasses the abilities of hospital, you should find an alternative need to address. In case you intend to do pediatric neurology, you must ensure you have the right equipment, infrastructure, and highly trained pediatric neurologist. Additionally, they must show interest of providing telemedicine services. Since identification of starting point may appear to be a hard nut to crack, organize a committee of stakeholders to oversee the assessment and identification of starting points.

Ensure goals of the telemedicine program are aligning with mission and vision of your hospital. The hospital leader will support the program when they are convinced the hospital stands to benefit if the project is properly implemented. The goals must be clear and realistic.

It is important to work with a timeline for implementing the project. Every stage must be assigned a specific timeline by which it must be completed. However, the timeline tends to be affected by hospital size and program goals. Therefore, ample time should be allocated for each stage.

Make sure you have a strong administrative support since you will have the guarantee to access the required resources for implementation. Encourage both the patient and the physician to embrace the technology. Additionally, the administrative team can assist you in dealing with tight timeline.

Addressing the needs of patients via telemedicine enables physicians to delegate their duties effectively. They are able to manage patients who have minor issues and deal with those who require serious care. The providers of care services must be trained effectively to guarantee effective implementation of the program.




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