Health Care Risk Management: Assignment Week 6

Chapter 14: Telemedicine

Telemedicine

• The collection and communication of healthcare information over a distance via telecommunication and/or information systems from one site to another.

• Telemedicine is not the same as the following terms and should not be used interchangeably:

– telehealth

– m-health

– e-health

Telemedicine Services

• Patient Consultation

• Specialist Referral Service

• Remote Patient Monitoring

• Consumer Medical and Health Information and Social Media

• Telenursing

• Telepharmacy

• Telerehabilitation

• Emergency Telemedicine

Risk Management and Telemedicine

• Many risks remain the same whether the patient is in the same room as the provider or at a distance

• Adding to the risks are

– Lack of study data on telemedicine

– Variability of state regulations

– Lack of significant case law

– Lack of significant claims studies

Clinical Care Risks

• Risks inherent to clinical specialty remain the same when utilizing telemedicine with the addition of

– Patient non-compliance without the knowledge of the provider

– Patient misinterpretation or inability to relate his condition to the provider

– Inability of patient to recall or understand directions

– Clinician misinterpretation of the data

– Medication errors

Administrative Risks

• Administration must evaluate the effectiveness and safety of telemedicine.

– Is it adding to or detracting from the quality of care?

– Is it increasing or decreasing morbidity and mortality?

Examples of Administrative Risks • Lack of appropriate operational policies

• Lack of quality improvement, patient safety and risk management programs

• Inconsistent or incomplete understanding of the patient-provider relationship

• Integration of the telemedicine into the workflow

• Appropriate communication and chain of command

• Appropriate documentation

• Adverse event notification

Technological Risks

• Equipment and function do not meet the need

• If equipment and function meet the need, performance does not

• Derived data are or become corrupt or unlawfully shared

Consumer Medical and Health Information Services

and Social Media Risks

• Use of social media has increased the risk to health facilities:

– Lack of case law for guidance

– Potential HIPAA violations

• Healthcare facility should develop a consumer health education and social media plan

Summary

• Telemedicine is an expanding service with

increased risk for the healthcare

organization

• As there are few evidence-based studies

regarding effectiveness and no case law,

risk managers must be vigilant and

monitor their telemedicine services for

potential risk to the organization