specialty focus
What is required to make Telehealth 3.0 work ? Mindset shift People involved in providing medical care are typically and justifiably risk adverse . For this reason , historically , health related industries are slow to adopt new technologies and lag behind all other industries in technology adoption .
Covid forced a change in this mindset which progressive organisations need to harness and continue to push forward .
Dr Paresh Dawda is the director of Prestantia Health and Next Practice Deakin in Canberra . Both practices have a strong focus on providing services in to aged care and increasingly embedding telehealth .
Dawda agreed that there has been hesitation to adopt telehealth on both sides , among providers and care recipients .
However , “ when done well , in the right circumstances ”, he says , “ it can be at least as effective ”.
Dawda is seeing a growing number of aged care facilities who are successfully using telehealth with increasing frequency and says that staff are becoming more proactive in asking if they can engage with it .
This is a major hurdle overcome and would be further supported by all care providers being trained to identify when an in-person appointment would be more appropriate than a telehealth appointment .
From a patient point of view , uncertainty regarding the adoption of telehealth comes equally from a fear of the unknown . However , again , Covid 19 saw many grandparents learn how to video chat with their loved ones . This alone has broken down perceived barriers to technology adoption .
Government support It would be fair to say that pre Covid , Australian governments were largely unsupportive of telehealth initiatives . And Australia was not alone when compared with countries around the globe .
While Australian Governments are now better funding telehealth appointments there are still many restrictions in place which could be reduced to improve telehealth adoption across the community .
Infrastructure Any telehealth initiative adopted by an aged care facility must be underpinned by appropriate infrastructure . For example , video calls and examinations dropping out due to poor WiFi and internet will quickly kill off initial enthusiasm for telehealth .
Devices such as tablets and smartphones that support the gathering of clinical data must meet the minimum requirements determined by the suppliers . Cutting corners will only prove counterproductive .
A telehealth initiative and associated infrastructure requirements should be part of a broader technology strategy that supports the achievement of organisational goals .
The majority of aged care organisations do not have such a strategy . So , when funding becomes available , they invest in what seems like the most immediate need . However , without a holistic strategy there is very real danger that this investment , at this time , will miss the mark and generate other unforeseen longer-term issues ; or simply prove to be a wasted purchase . Many organisations that rushed to improve their technology capability in response to Covid are already witnessing this .
With this is mind it is important for any organisation to understand the broader technology landscape of where they are now and where they want to go . Equally they must ask : what technology is widely available that would help us get there and what ’ s coming that will help us get there quicker and with more successful outcomes for all stakeholders ?
What ’ s next ? No one is pushing for a 100 % telehealth approach . However , many agree that a hybrid approach that combines in-person and telehealth care would deliver very positive outcomes for all involved .
Telehealth and technology in general offers aged care providers great opportunity to improve care , reduce stress on staff and deliver better outcomes with less budget .
One of the challenges is trying to predict what technologies are around the corner . If an organisation is cognisant of the direction technology is moving and underpinning infrastructure requirements they don ’ t have to try and read the tea leaves .
The lead time between technology being available and its widespread adoption is many years . So , organisations have the opportunity to develop 3-5 + year strategies for the adoption of technologies that will support the achievement of organisational goals . In doing so , variables such as budget , staff training and change management can all be incorporated . It all starts with a plan . ■
Mark Williams is managing director at Quigly Independent Consultants and researches technology in aged care .
Nursing Review is essential reading for anyone involved in the healthcare sector in Australia . It provides unrivalled coverage of specialist topics from features and opinion pieces , to international news and profiles .
• Latest news and resources for all healthcare professionals
• Comprehensive coverage of a diverse range of topics
• Analysis of the major issues facing the health sector as a whole
• Delivered free of charge to your home or place of work monthly
Please call 02 9936 8666 to find out more .
nursingreview . com . au | 19