Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies.
It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions.
Telehealth is also sometimes known as Telemedicine, which is used in a more limited sense to describe remote clinical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring.
Some examples of telehealth:
- A "virtual visit" with a health care provider, through a phone call or video chat - Remote patient monitoring, which lets your provider check on you while you are at home. For example, you might wear a device that measures your heart rate and sends that information to your provider. - A surgeon using robotic technology to do surgery from a different location - Sensors that can alert caregivers if a person with dementia leaves the house - Sending your provider a message through your electronic health record (EHR) - Watching an online video that your provider sent you about how to use an inhaler - Getting an email, phone, or text reminder that it's time for a cancer screening
Benefits of Telehealth: When rural settings, lack of transport, a lack of mobility, decreased funding, or a lack of staff restrict access to care, telehealth may bridge the gap as well as provider distance-learning; meetings, supervision, and presentations between practitioners; online information and health data management and healthcare system integration.
How it is done: Telehealth could include two clinicians discussing a case over video conference; a robotic surgery occurring through remote access; physical therapy done via digital monitoring instruments, live feed and application combinations; tests being forwarded between facilities for interpretation by a higher specialist; home monitoring through continuous sending of patient health data; client to practitioner online conference; or even videophone interpretation during a consult
Common types of care possible using telehealth:
- General health care, like wellness visits - Prescriptions for medicine - Dermatology (skin care) - Eye exams - Nutrition counseling - Mental health counseling - Urgent care conditions, such as sinusitis, urinary tract infections, common rashes, etc.
Nowadays there are certifications for Telehealth, such as: Board-Certified Telehealth Professional Level II (BCTP-II) Credential
This telepractice certification requires the following competencies:
Explain fundamental terms, concepts and their definitions Choose your technology and its specialized features for video conferencing, email, text messaging and other technologies Practice legally and ethically over state lines and international borders Educate your client/patient about how to be safe when working with you online Understand HIPAA, your state laws and those of other states you wish to serve Help you establish appropriate screening protocols for carefully selecting appropriate clients/patients Give you an understanding of how to develop appropriate clinical protocols to adapt to specialized treatment Organize your documentation in ways that are manageable and in compliance with state and federal law as well as other oversight groups (e.g., Joint Commission, URAC, CARF) Develop and implement your emergency plans, build them into your informed consent processes and have clinically appropriate relationships to confidently handle emergencies and crises Set up your virtual office and desktop to follow current telepractice guidelines Get paid for your services, including Medicare and Medicaid as well as 3rd party carrier reimbursement. Develop your own templates for informed consent, intake, progress, termination, risk management notes to have reviewed by your attorney How to interview and select an appropriate attorney for your telepractice Guide you to finding and contracting with a malpractice carrier to manage risk
Telehealth knowledge may soon be required for professionals in one or more of the following categories:
Addictions Specialists / Telehealth Counseling / Distance Counseling Nurse Practice / Telemedicine Nursing / Tele-Nursing Occupational Therapy / Tele-Occupational Therapy Physicians / Telemedicine Physician’s Assistants / Telemedicine Psychiatry / Telepsychiatry Psychology / Telepsychology Social Work / Telehealth Speech and Language Therapy / Tele-Speech and Language Therapy Therapy / Online Therapy Other Tele-Therapies, including but not limited to these groups of practitioners: Internists, Pediatricians, Osteopaths, Gerontologists, Physical Therapists, Dietitians, Behavior Analysts, CEOs, COOs, Administrators, Billing & Coding Staff
Typical Telehealth training programs include: 1. Introduction to Theory & Practice 2. Rules, Regulations, Risk Management 3. Best Practices & Informed Consent 4. Telepractice Documentation 5. Basic Telehealth Clinical Issues 6. Advanced Telehealth Clinical Issues/Telehealth Clinical Best Practices for COVID-19) 7. Telephone & Videoconferencing 8. Setting Up Your Video-Based Office 9. How to Legally Practice Over State Lines 10. Client/Patient Education 11. Reimbursement Strategies 12. Top 10 Reasons to Start Your Telepractice 13. 7 Legal & Ethical Tips 14. Cybersecurity 15. Social Media 16. Online Marketing Strategies 17. Telehealth Practice from Home 18. Texting Do’s and Don’ts` 19. Text Therapy 20. Choosing Online Employers [Why Online Employers Can be Problematic] 21. Telesupervision
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