Introduction to Telehealth
“There is perhaps no greater opportunity to transform practice than through technology” (IOM, 2001).
Technology can transform care. Technology opens the door to remote health practice: telehealth.
Telehealth is “a collection of means or methods for enhancing health care, public health, and health education delivery and support using telecommunications technologies.”
Why Telehealth?
The Institute for Health Improvement (IHI) Triple Aim is a framework that describes an approach to improving healthcare quality and delivery performance that focuses on the value of services being delivered.
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Improve population health through identifying risk and coordination of care.
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Reduce costs of healthcare by more effectively managing an aging population and chronic health conditions.
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Improving the patient experience through their interactions with the healthcare system and satisfaction with care.
Telehealth reduces disparities in healthcare, increases access to specialty care, and eliminates transportation as well as time management barriers. Moreover, The US healthcare system, the most costly among developed nations, has the potential to realize significant reductions in spending. Finally, engagement in telehealth practice facilitates continued professional education and opportunities for collaboration among clinicians.