Much more than mere video chats, telehealth uses intranets and internet networks to observe, diagnose, initiate or otherwise medically intervene, administer, monitor, record, and/or report on the continuum of care people receive. Taking full advantage of telehealth and telemedicine tools saves both time and money, delivering care options directly to individuals in need. Telehealth united with technology opens avenues to digital equity and health equity among underserved communities in towns, cities and counties.
Telehealth Categories
- Real-time telehealth refers to activities happening “right here and now,” often involving medical or healthcare professionals. Patrons can schedule a time or drop in to have private, secure telehealth sessions with professionals in real-time.
- Store-and-forward telehealth is collecting medical data, digital images, etc., and sending it electronically to another site for later evaluation. Let's say a telehealth company can schedule a time to come to your house for lab work that they collect and take to the lab on Tuesday. On Thursday, you log on for the doctor's appointment to review that data together.
- "Passive" telehealth refers to storing and accessing digital knowledge bases, health and wellness Web content, and interactive software applications that help us understand, prevent, treat or recover from threats to our physical and mental health.
A framework for tactical action
Here are five tactical ways of using telehealth to leverage or maximize health:
- Reinventing the doctor's office visit for a variety of healthcare practices, including observation, screening, gathering data, data exchange, and medical counseling
- Marrying telehealth chronic healthcare and home care so the constant appointments and treatments can be made less intrusively
- Enhancing emergency response to save more lives
- Expanding efficiency of mental healthcare delivery. About 20,000 people per 100,000 experience some mental illness, but there are just 268 mental health providers for every 100,000 people in the U.S., according to the United Health Foundation. Telehealth can increase providers' efficiency and reduce downtime.
- Reimagining what mental health care can be – it doesn’t have to be an inpatient stay at a hospital
Learn more about how MyAdvisor is leveraging tele-mental health to bring care coordination options directly to you by visiting www.myadvisor.healthcare
