Describe in detail how to strategically plan a Telehealth as a scope of digital health.

11/30/22, 1:38 AM Telehealth - Defining the Field: XLST Digital and Connected Health (TUESDAY) Fall 2022

https://sju.instructure.com/courses/32739/pages/telehealth-defining-the-field?module_item_id=1192864 1/1

Telehealth - Defining the Field According to the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT), Telehealth is defined as: “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration”. Telehealth can be delivered synchronously (using real time technologies) or a synchronously (using other methods discussed at length in this course).

Store-and-forward Images or videos are saved and sent later. As an example, a primary care physician takes a picture of a rash with a digital camera and forwards it to a dermatologist to view when time permits. This method is commonly used for specialties such as dermatology and radiology. This could also be referred to as asynchronous communication. Real time A specialist at a medical center views video images transmitted from a remote site and discusses the case with a physician. This requires more sophisticated equipment to send images real time and often involves two way interactive telemonitors. The specialist can see the patient and ask questions. Telemedicine also enables the sharing of images from peripheral devices such as electronic stethoscopes, otoscopes, etc. This would be an example of synchronous communication. Remote monitoring. A technique to monitor patients at home, in a nursing home or in a hospital for personal health information or disease management.

Recently, telemedicine has been adopted by many major US healthcare delivery systems, such as Saint Joseph’s Healthcare, Geisenger and Sentara, to improve access to medical care and hopefully reduce spiraling costs. Given a move to bundled and alternative payments, telemedicine remains a potentially useful tool for the informatician. Increasingly payment models are either implicitly or explicitly calling for their use. The Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) provides opportunities for the use of telehealth services to increase access to care and provide population health outreach. In addition, CMS continues to evaluate waivers for the delployment of telemedicine services as outlined in updates to the comprehensive joint replacement (CJR) bundled payment.

The readings this week are designed to foster greater awareness of a few key items. The first reading by Chan et al is highlighted to convey that the practice of telehealth is by no means a physician only practice. Increasingly many members of a care team are participating in virtual visits with patients. These include OTs, PTs, mental health professionals and social workers. The article also highlights a need for newer methods to investigate "mixed" digital health engagement with patients and those in need of care. The second article by Cason conveys with it the approval of the American Occupational Therapy Association for members to actively engage and utilize telehealth services. The article lays out ethical responsibilities of practitioners and to a certain extent embraces certain types of platforms already created and used by therapists at leading academic institutions. The broad question I have for everyone in the course (and given your diverse backgrounds) is whether or not your own professional home has provided clear guidance on the use of telehealth services. Finally in the article by Eric Wicklund the following statement is especially profound as we look back across the previous modules - "For example, in a simplistic sense, a consumer may consider an mHealth or telehealth program to be effective if it proves more convenient than in-person care, while a doctor might measure its value in whether clinical outcomes are improved and a health plan might prefer a program that reduces cost and waste. In another case, a consumer might embrace a program that makes him or her feel better, while a provider values that platform’s ability to protect patient data."

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