The ability to use the appropriate technology is a crucial aspect of the telehealth adoption process. To bring telehealth services online, facilities will need PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other technology.
Fremont, CA: By reducing hospital readmission rates and average patient length of stay, health systems that embrace telemedicine can take on more new patients, enhance patient outcomes, and lower total healthcare costs.
Despite these advantages, telehealth adoption rates are still low in several areas of the country. Moreover, these services have been more difficult due to state and federal laws, the initial cost of investing in new technology, and a lack of digital infrastructure.
Before seriously considering implementing the latest technology, facilities must develop practical solutions for overcoming these hurdles. Let's look at some of the challenges that arise with telehealth adoption and how to tackle them.
Lack of Digital Infrastructure
The ability to use the appropriate technology is a crucial aspect of the telehealth adoption process. To bring telehealth services online, facilities will need PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other technology. Thus, it is known as "digital capability." Many organizations and healthcare systems, though, do not have access to technology.
Solution
Healthcare practitioners and personnel should widely understand the advantages of employing current digital technology, such as speedier communication, automatic backups, and the capacity to communicate with patients on the road. In addition, local emergencies and disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires, can get better prepared using this technology.
Digital Literacy
The ability to operate digital devices such as computers, cellphones, and tablets is digital literacy. Patients and physicians should feel at ease with this technology; but, some patients, like the elderly, could have difficulty using it.
Solution
Providers can discuss this technology with their patients to determine whether they will use a telehealth program, including sending and receiving healthcare information, responding to SMS, and setting up automatic reminders.
Complying with State and Federal Regulations
Some facilities and networks may be wary about telehealth's worth if it involves more monitoring from the state and federal governments. In addition, reduced reimbursement rates make telehealth initiatives more challenging to implement, as the provider will earn less money than if they saw patients in person.
Solution
Over the last several years, state and federal telehealth rules have slowly improved, encouraging more clinicians to embrace these tools. In addition, telehealth parity rules exist in 29 states and Washington, D.C., which implies that telehealth services get reimbursed at the same rate as in-person services. As state lawmakers gradually embrace telehealth, facility administrators and healthcare professionals should watch these trends.
