Module 1 - Introduction to Telehealth
This training for healthcare professionals
This introductory module is the first of a series of more specific themes on the use of telehealth. This module includes concrete examples and testimonials from the Vitalité Health Network of New Brunswick and the Réseaux universitaires intégrés de santé McGill (RUIS), in collaboration with the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of Québec’s James Bay.
This telehealth professional development module is designed for health professionals who wish to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to master telehealth.
| INTRODUCTION TO TELEHEALTH | ||||
| Section 1 Introduction to Telehealth: Definitions, History and Future Trends |
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| As healthcare professionals, it is our collective responsibility to find ways to improve services offered to patients within our care. As technology evolves and becomes more readily available, its use is more than just a luxury; it becomes an obligation within the context of our professional duty to offer care that meets population needs, while maximizing our use of the limited pot of available resources to provide public healthcare services. This first section introduces you to the world of telehealth and provides a general overview of the various modalities of telehealth services.nd tips that can come in handy and lead you in the right direction. | ||||
| Section 2 Telehealth Services for Clinical, Educational and Administrative Purposes |
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| With the advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), telehealth/telemedicine services have become a feasible alternative to traditional in‑person healthcare services. In its early development, telemedicine focused primarily on promoting access to rural populations, yet quickly clinicians discovered that many of these services were also pertinent to local populations, making their care more efficient and patient‑centered. Despite its obvious potential to maintain health and improving access to care, etc., its growth has been rather stinted over time with only few people and healthcare professionals being informed of the many possibilities of telemedicine. This section provides a brief description of the use of videoconferencing and store‑and‑forward technology for clinical, educational and administrative purposes in healthcare. Examples will be provided of the use of these services in medicine, nursing and other allied healthcare professions. | ||||
| Section 3 Implementing and Conducting Telehealth Services and Related Common Challenges |
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| The delivery of telehealth services requires careful planning before one can implement and conduct healthcare remotely. Generally speaking, people tend to think that having the right equipment make telehealth possible without taking into consideration all of the steps that are required and the challenges inherent to this mode of care delivery. While not all challenges can be avoided, as they say, ‘forewarned is forearmed’. This section offers a 9 step systematic approach to implementation and a list of common technological, financial and human factor challenges. | ||||
| Section 4 Showcasing National and International Telehealth Networks |
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| A sine qua non to the growth of telehealth services is the development of country wide, or province wide telehealth networks; a trend which has been increasing in the recent decade because of the many benefits and opportunities it offers. These networks, which are usually supported and promoted by local or federal governments, have the potential to deliver a multitude of telehealth services to accommodate the healthcare needs of a given population and furthermore, this telehealth equipment can be used to support the practice of healthcare professionals, for administrative and educational purposes. At the core of these networks is typically a centralized hub of telehealth expertise, from a technical, clinical, management, etc. perspective, that coordinate operations and create connections with remote sites, near or far. The growth in the number of telehealth networks worldwide is a testament to the effectiveness of such care delivery models. This section showcases two Canadian and one international examples of telehealth networks. | ||||