Enhancing The Telehealth Experience

By Kevin J. Boyle, business leader for the telemedicine team, Rubbermaid Medical Solutions

The history of North American telemedicine has been a story primarily about technological innovation. Moving the industry forward, however, will require an entirely new mindset. We must begin adopting a more consumer-oriented approach—one that focuses less on technology and more on access to care and patient convenience.

Over the last several years, the adoption of telemedicine has grown steadily in North America. Programs in Ontario and British Columbia, for instance, are breaking down geographic barriers and providing better access to care in remote locations. With scalability these programs can provide even more significant benefits—especially when the solutions are so easy to use that even those without technical expertise can take advantage of them.

There's little doubt that the real promise of telehealth will be realized when solutions designed for non-technical users simplify and improve the whole clinical experience.

Widespread adoption will occur when focus shifts from the mechanical aspects of the application to the user experience. The key is to make the telehealth experience as close to a live clinical visit as possible—but with more accessibility and flexibility.

Improving telemedicine encounters at the point of care involves recognizing three fundamental requirements that need ongoing evaluation and optimization:

1. Infrastructure – You must have the network or bandwidth capable of supporting your telehealth solution.
2. Application – Driving the experience is an application to capture clinical data. Some applications are home-grown, while others are as robust as full electronic health records (EHRs).
3. Equipment – The equipment used can range in scope from simple email for store-and-forward capability all the way to various web conferencing and video applications. Ideally, it will be compact, maneuverable and ergonomic, with the ability to unite disparate technologies onto a single platform.

These elements will steer telehealth toward a consumer-centric approach that fosters broader adoption within communities.

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