By: Randy Dioguardi, MBA
Executive Vice President of Operations
Telehealth is a newer concept for many long-term care facilities, and as a result, there tends to be some misinformation about what telehealth really means, what it can offer and how it can be implemented.
An increasing population of geriatric patients are finding themselves in rural areas, relying on local general practice physicians without specialized training in elderly mental health care, or needing to travel long distances to be assessed and appropriately treated. Telehealth provides a crucial solution to this problem by virtually bringing world-class clinicians to patients in long-term care facilities across the nation. Telehealth offers improved resident and facility outcomes as a result of the increased access to specialized care, as well as dramatically reduced costs. It is effective, and patients tend to be very satisfied with their telehealth care.
This is one of the most common comments I hear. Facilities worry about monetary costs, staffing and the management and oversight of a telehealth program. The reality is that when you partner with a company like MediTelecare, all of these factors disappear. We use our vast network and knowledge of telehealth technologies to implement a telehealth program at no cost. In many cases, we can start seeing patients virtually in less than 60 days. Finding the right partner is key to establish a secure, HIPPA compliant, facilitated and high-quality asynchronous video platform and an ethical billing program. It’s true that you should do research and get an understanding of what’s available before selecting the right partner for your organization, but once you’ve made that choice, most of the hard work on your end as the facility is complete.
MediTelecare realizes that offering the best access to quality health care in the 21st century requires 21st century technologies. Telehealth is a critical solution that provides access to the best clinicians for patients in long-term care facilities across the nation. To learn more about how telehealth is improving quality of care and increasing health care access, or to get more information about implementing telehealth at your facility, please call860-788-6404, ext. 705 or email us at CustomerCare@meditelecare.com.