Guide your telemedicine services from quick launch to long-term success

A version of this article previously ran in the March 2021 edition of Healthcare News.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine took a dramatic leap forward as organizations sought rapid implementation to continue providing services among lockdowns and social distancing protocols.

While the shift from face-to-face (F2F) visits to virtual care — via both phone and video — provides some conveniences, inevitable obstacles emerged for health systems, and challenges continue to mount as adoption of telemedicine becomes widespread.

Employing problem-solving solutions through lean methodologies, however, can help counter workflow impediments that carry over from in-person visits — as well as any potential erosions to efficiencies — so your organization can make the most of virtual delivery methods and provide high quality care.

Telemedicine challenges

Healthcare organizations face hurdles in several areas related to telemedicine.

Technology and connectivity

Software and application platforms can present technical obstacles such as limited Wi-Fi and cabling in old clinics, and even basic hardware barriers like laptops with insufficient video capabilities.

Many patients also don’t have access, affinity, or skills to manage virtual platforms, and medical groups don’t have time or experience to train patients in these capacities.

Appropriate use

Certain conditions might not be safe and logical for virtual care.

While metabolic conditions and behavioral health may be logical fits for virtual visits, exam-dependent conditions may not fit.

For example, consider the need for serial neurologic exams for patients with Parkinson’s Disease, magnified exams performed in ENT practices, and common musculoskeletal exam maneuvers, as well as the essentials of the bimanual pelvic exam.

Auscultation-dependent pulmonologists, primary care providers, and cardiologists will need remote auscultative devices that integrate with electronic health records (EHRs) for accuracy.