How to Improve Success of Telehealth for Clients and Clinics?

What is telehealth?

Telehealth is the use of electronic communications to provide health care services from a distance. This can include things like video conferencing, email and text messaging.

Telehealth allows healthcare providers to deliver care to clients who may not be able to come into the office for an appointment. It also allows providers to connect with experts in other locations, which can improve the quality of care they’re able to provide.

Telehealth can provide a number of benefits for both clinics and their clients. For clinics, telehealth can help to improve access to care, increase efficiency, and lower costs. For clients, telehealth can provide more convenient and timely access to care, as well as increased privacy and confidentiality.

Some quick statistics around telehealth services

The use of telehealth services is growing rapidly – especially in the wake of COVID-19. In 2020, the number of telehealth visits increased by more than 4000%. This increase is due to a combination of factors, including restrictions on in-person appointments and a need for social distancing.

The pandemic has also led to an increase in the use of telehealth for mental health services. In 2020, the number of people using telehealth for mental health services increased by more than 50%.

Between March 2020 and February 2022, 95.9 million telehealth services were delivered to 16.8 million patients. With 91,087 practitioners having now used telehealth services, this number is only expected to grow.

So, given the rising demand for telehealth, how can you ensure optimal client and staff satisfaction with your clinic’s telehealth services?

‍Setting up telehealth for your clinic: A step-by-step guide

By following these steps, clinics and clients can set themselves up for success with telehealth services. With the right preparation and understanding, telehealth can be a valuable tool for delivering care.

Step 1 – Make sure you have the right equipment and infrastructure in place.

This includes things like a reliable internet connection and the proper tools and equipment for telehealth appointments.

As an example, coreplus is an innovative digital platform that features chat, screen and file sharing capabilities; chat transcript and attachment archiving; interactive whiteboard to use as a palette and a whole host of other useful functions to make life easier for the client and practitioner during telehealth appointments.

Step 2 – Put policies and procedures in place to ensure that telehealth services are being used appropriately.

This includes things like protecting clients’ confidential information and making sure appointments are being scheduled in a way that doesn’t cause disruptions in care.

Again, coreplus integrates seamlessly with iCal and other calendar software to keep track of a clinic/practitioner’s telehealth appointments and scheduling. As for confidentiality, coreplus currently supports over 16,000 Allied Health professionals Australia-wide, with millions of client records. Every aspect of the platform’s secure messaging, data privacy and data security are in strict accordance with Australian specific standards such as HL7, FHiR and CDA in addition to best of breed IT security standards, encryption and access controls.

Step 3 – Help clients prepare to use telehealth services.

This means providing them with information about how the technology works and what they need to do to participate in appointments. Make sure they know what to expect from telehealth appointments, and how to get the most out of them.

Thankfully, transitioning your clients to a new method of healthcare doesn’t need to be complicated. coreplus allows clinics and practitioners to keep their clients connected with their health goals:

• Clients join telehealth appointments with a single click, via a unique URL they receive by text or email
• Quickly and easily chat, screen share and upload/download files and attachments
• Chat transcripts and case notes are automatically save into clients’ files as a record
• Interactive whiteboard tool for jotting notes or drawing diagrams that everyone on the call can see

‍