Best Practice Telehealth
As telehealth expands, there needs to be a better understanding of telehealth best practices. In 500 words or less, discuss the following:
Please use this web address and attached article to answer the following questions to this assignment.
- What are telehealth best practices? Identify some examples.
- Based on your experiences, why do you think these practices are important?
- What are some ways clinicians can improve their telehealth skill set
- What are telehealth best practices? Identify some examples.
- Based on your experiences, why do you think these practices are important?
- What are some ways clinicians can improve their telehealth skill set
Sample Answer
Telehealth Best Practices
The best practices in telehealth include being strategic in considerations, needs assessment, communicating changes to patients, practicing the use of technology, creating a backup plan, utilizing appropriate screening tools, and utilizing effective documentation and record-keeping tools (Shore et al., 2018). In the introduction of telehealth in a healthcare facility, the team that is charged with introducing such technology must adopt strategic thinking to effectively find opportunities to expand telehealth. This would include considering the various programs or services in a healthcare facility that can be expanded using telehealth in which clients or populations would easily adapt to the introduction of telehealth platforms. Best practices related to telehealth would include taking time to assess the needs of a given health care facility. Healthcare facilities should therefore take time to understand their current capacity related to telehealth technology and also the gaps that may be present in terms of patient resources, staffing, and equipment (Shore et al., 2018). Communicating the impending changes related to telehealth in a healthcare facility is also an important best practice. Healthcare practitioners and healthcare facilities should therefore sensitize patients about their telehealth policies, including the extent of telehealth services they offer. It is also a best practice for healthcare practitioners to practice using specific telehealth technology first before the introduction of such technology in healthcare settings. Healthcare practitioners should therefore practice utilizing certain technology with their staff members before trying to utilize it with patients. This can help such healthcare practitioners to be able to operate telehealth technology effectively and make the right recommendations to patients (Shore et al., 2018). On the other hand, creating a backup plan is also an important practice related to telehealth implementation in a healthcare facility. When introducing telehealth in a healthcare facility, health care practitioners should therefore establish various protocols that should be followed in cases where technology fails and what backup technology could be utilized. Considering the most appropriate screening tools in advance is also an important practice that can be adopted during the introduction of telehealth in healthcare facilities (Shore et al., 2018). Documentation and record-keeping will also be important to consider the introduction of telehealth systems in a healthcare facility. This is especially important in healthcare facilities. The staff in healthcare facilities should therefore be updated on the billing changes or policy changes related to the introduction of telehealth in healthcare facilities. The introduction of telehealth services in a healthcare facility should therefore go hand in hand with the maintenance of adequate electronic health records in such a facility (Shore et al., 2018).
Importance of Best Practices
Based on my experience, I believe that the best practices related to telehealth are important in the successful adoption of such systems in healthcare facilities. For example, being strategic in consideration of telehealth in a healthcare facility can help such facilities to decide the adequate technology they would require for their specific target population. On the other hand, by taking time to assess their needs, healthcare facilities can be able to take stock of their current staffing levels, available patient resources, and equipment they could utilize to implement telehealth. On the other hand, communicating adequately to patients can help such patients to adapt effectively to the introduction of telehealth services in health care facilities.
Ways Clinicians Can Improve Their Telehealth Skill Set
Clinicians can improve their telehealth skills by taking various strategies, including attending training and workshops and collaborating effectively with others. Through training seminars and workshops, traditions can therefore gain the necessary skills required to operate the health systems. On the other hand, collaborating effectively with others can help clinicians to cultivate the right skills related to telehealth (Galpin et al., 2021).
