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Team Members:
Lisa Wiley
Diana Johnson
Holly Wells
Peggy Tirpak
Purpose: To provide information on the practice of telehealth as a tool in informatics.
Goal: To have each individual  understand the information on the topic of telehealth and how this may impact the patient.
Duties: All team members collectively and equally provided  information to the padlet board

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When thinking about healthcare, most of us conjure up images of office visits or trips to the ER. Whether it's for a routine check-up, lab tests, an outpatient procedure or major surgery, the norm is for patients and caregivers to leave their homes (often sitting in traffic or rushing from work) to meet their doctor at a healthcare facility of some kind. But things are changing.

Based on advances in information and communications technologies, medical professionals as well as other "health and care" providers can now offer increasingly robust, remote (from their location to another), interactive (two-way) services to consumers, patients and caregivers.

The terms used to describe these broadband-enabled interactions include telehealth, telemedicine and telecare. "Telehealth" evolved from the word "telemedicine." "Telecare" is a similar term that you generally hear in Europe. All three of these words are often - but not always - used interchangeably. They can also have different meanings depending on who you ask. And that's precisely why you should ask your doctor, your insurance provider, your nurse, anyone who's part of your health and care universe ...

what do you mean when you say ...

Telemedicine? - Telemedicine can be defined as using telecommunications technologies to support the delivery of all kinds of medical, diagnostic and treatment-related services usually by doctors. For example, this includes conducting diagnostic tests, closely monitoring a patient's progress after treatment or therapy and facilitating access to specialists that are not located in the same place as the patient.

Telehealth? - Telehealth is similar to telemedicine but includes a wider variety of remote healthcare services beyond the doctor-patient relationship. It often involves services provided by nurses, pharmacists or social workers, for example, who help with patient health education, social support and medication adherence, and troubleshooting health issues for patients and their caregivers.

Telecare? - Telecare generally refers to technology that allows consumers to stay safe and independent in their own homes. For example, telecare may include consumer-oriented health and fitness apps, sensors and tools that connect consumers with family members or other caregivers, exercise tracking tools, digital medication reminder systems or early warning and detection technologies.

For More Information. The Connect2HealthFCC Task Force is working to raise consumer awareness about the value of broadband in the health and care sectors. Learn about the FCC's Connect2Health Task Force and its work on consumer health issues at www.fcc.gov/health. For information about other communications issues, visit the FCC's Consumer website at www.fcc.gov/consumers.

Download a printable version of this document. (English) (Spanish)

For this or any other consumer publication in an accessible format (electronic ASCII text, Braille, large print or audio), write or call us at the address or phone number at the bottom of this page, or send an email to FCC504@fcc.gov

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Telehealth, Telemedicine and Telecare: What's What?

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When thinking about healthcare, most of us conjure up images of office visits or trips to the ER. Whether it's for a routine check-up, lab tests, an outpatient procedure or major surgery, the norm is for patients and caregivers to leave their homes (often sitting in traffic or rushing from work) to meet their doctor at a healthcare facility of some kind.

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What are some limiting factors for Telehealth services? Can you list others?

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What are some limiting factors for Telehealth services? Can you list others?

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Ability to pay for the service
Insurance reimbursement and type of insurance
Regional Internet availability
Cost of mobile devices

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"People are interested in replacing in-person visits with video conferences—especially considering its convenience. But, the vast majority of respondents don’t know much about this service or their insurance options."

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Telemedicine, the remote delivery of medical treatment via technology, is becoming more and more prevalent in the health care industry.

To learn more about what patients think of telemedicine services, Software Advice conducted a survey of about 400 medical consumers gauging interest in and impressions of video conferencing as a replacement for in-person doctor visits.

Key Findings

Seventy-two percent of patients polled don't know if their medical insurance covers telemedicine.

The vast majority of patients-83 percent of those polled-have never used video consultation services.

Patient interest in telemedicine services is high, with 77 percent saying they would be more likely to select medical providers that offer it over ones that do not.

Of those patients who have used telemedicine conferencing, 51 percent appreciate the convenience and the comfort of consulting a professional from home.

Introduction

Telemedicine has come a long way since its early days of radio-based communication. Today, over 50 percent of U.S. hospitals offer telehealth options, and more and more health care providers are looking to incorporate telehealth into their available plans.

Despite current uncertainty about the direction American health care is going, evidence supports the fact that legislators are interested in telemedicine. In March of this year, the Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act of 2017 was introduced in the Senate.

The bipartisan bill asks the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to "test the effect of including telehealth services in Medicare health care delivery reform models."

Just a few days later, Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee put forth S.870: Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic Care Act of 2017. Among other things, this bill would allocate more funds to Medicare to be spent on making more telehealth services available to patients at home.

Even with this impressive reception within the government, medical technology vendors are still facing difficulties when it comes to implementing telemedicine. The most apparent challenge is the lack of patient knowledge regarding their telehealth options.

Most Don't Know if They Have Telemedicine Coverage

Between 2015 and 2016, the number of major U.S. employers to offer health insurance coverage for telemedicine services increased from about 30 percent to about 60 percent.

Currently, every U.S. state (with the exception of Rhode Island) offers some kind of coverage for telemedicine care, either through Medicaid or through requirements for private insurance providers.

Despite this fact, a large number of patients are unaware of their medical options when it comes to telehealth.

Only a combined total of 28 percent of patients polled were well-versed enough in their health insurance coverage to say whether or not telemedicine was included in their plans. This lack of awareness speaks volumes about the limited information being circulated by insurance providers and employers.

It's clear that software vendors who hope to increase telehealth adoption rates in the U.S. must start by working with providers to educate patients on their options.

Of the medical consumers surveyed by Software Advice, only 17 percent had experience using telemedicine services. This statistic could correlate with the number of patients who don't know if telemedicine is available to them; indicating that an increase in awareness will result in an increase in use.

Patients Want Their Doctors to Offer Telemedicine

It might be tempting to draw a dismal conclusion from the number of patients who have not used telemedicine, patient's interest tells another story.

Patient interest in exploring video conferencing options is high, with 77 percent being more likely to choose a new doctor based on their telehealth options over doctors who do not offer them.

The first step in implementing telemedicine on a broader scale is for it to become commonplace among physicians. Once that happens, providers can work together to teach patients about their options in order to encourage its use and make telemedicine services the new normal.

Patients Enjoy Skipping Traffic, Staying In for Medical Appointments

The medical consumers we polled who have used telemedicine conferencing had a lot to say about the pros and cons of this service. When asked what benefits they enjoyed most, a combined 51 percent said that a major benefit is not having to leave their home.

On the other end of that spectrum, patients were least satisfied with missing out on physical exams during video conferences.

The lack of physical examinations came up more than once in this study. We asked our participants whether they would prefer to seek in-person care or a video conference with doctors when experiencing a set of symptoms.

This suggests that, while patients are definitely open to exploring telemedicine services, many consider in-person exams to be more beneficial.

Vendors now have some direction for their effort to educate telemedicine users. For example, telemedicine can be used to diagnose and treat all of the following symptoms or illnesses:

Allergies

Joint pain such as arthritis

Asthma

Upper respiratory issues like colds or infection

Gastrointestinal distress such as diarrhea or nausea

Conjunctivitis

Skin conditions like rashes

Muscle sprains or strains

UTIs or bladder infections

Considering the level of discomfort any one of the above symptoms can cause, it shouldn't be too hard to convince those afflicted to stay at home and get treatment, rather than go out in public where they might spread contagious illnesses.

Conclusions

The biggest challenge facing telemedicine providers today is educating patients. People are interested in replacing in-person visits with video conferences-especially considering its convenience. But, the vast majority of respondents don't know much about this service or their insurance options.

Once this hurdle is overcome, though, physicians absolutely stand to benefit from making telemedicine available to their patients. And software vendors are facing the same opportunity by spreading the word about their systems. In other words, the future is bright for telehealth and those who offer it.

Demographics

The concept of telemedicine was designed to address the needs of rural patients who had limited access to medical care simply because they lived too far away.

That continues to be the primary target, as demonstrated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HRSA) creation of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth in order to better serve Americans living in rural areas.

However, those living in urban or suburban locations are taking advantage of these options as well.

While more information is needed to draw specific conclusions from this, one theory may be that suburban millennials are using telemedical services more and more.

This generation is, after all, known for its embrace of technology-based services, and recent studies of the latest census data indicate a significant portion of this age group are making their way to the suburbs.

Use of technology-based medical services is increasing, and that isn't going to change. Video consultations and telehealth services will become more and more popular as younger generations enter the job market and make use of their own health insurance.

However, that still leaves room for vendors and physicians to service rural patients, as it's apparent there is a gap there.

Methodology

The data reported in this article was collected using an online survey of 11 questions. A total of 393 responses were used (326 of which had never used telemedical video conferencing and 67 of which had). Software Advice performed and funded this research independently.

If you have any comments or would like to obtain access to any of the charts above, please contact lisa@softwareadvice.com.

Explore Medical categories:

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How Do Patients Feel About Telemedicine Services?

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Telemedicine, the remote delivery of medical treatment via technology, is becoming more and more prevalent in the health care industry. To learn more about what patients think of telemedicine services, Software Advice conducted a survey of about 400 medical consumers gauging interest in and impressions of video conferencing as a replacement for in-person doctor visits.

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Which of these goals apply to telehealth?

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Which of these goals apply to telehealth?

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1. Make healthcare accessible to people who live in rural or isolated communities?
2. Make services more readily available or advantageous for people with limited mobility?
3. Provide access to specialists? for self-management of health care?
4. Improve communication and coordination among -team and patient?
5. Provide support for self-management of health care?

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Attached is a link people can visit to gather more information and resources about remote healthcare in rural areas of the United States.

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Healthcare Access in Rural Communities Overview - Rural Health Information Hub

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Provides resources and answers frequently asked questions related to healthcare access. Discusses the importance of primary care for rural residents and covers barriers to healthcare access in rural areas, such as transportation, insurance, and workforce issues. Highlights strategies to improve acce…

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Telehealth, a relatively new modality for healthcare delivery, aims to address some of the challenges facing health systems by increasing healthcare access and quality, enhancing health outcomes and reducing the high costs associated with specialty healthcare services.

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Effects of Telehealth by Allied Professionals and Nurses in Rural and Remote Areas

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Effects of Telehealth by Allied Professionals and Nurses in Rural and Remote Areas

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What is the primary Goal for treating patients with chronic illness by way of telehealth services?

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Through Telehealth, nurses are able to use communication technology to impart education, assess patient, supervise and manage procedures, and monitor those patients with chronic conditions that can be managed but not cured. Collaboration between providers. Achieve symptom improvement and compliance.

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WHAT IS TELEHEALTH?
Telehealth is similar to telemedicine but includes a wider variety of remote healthcare services beyond the doctor-patient relationship. It often involves services provided by nurses, pharmacists or social workers, for example, who help with patient health education, social support and medication adherence, and troubleshooting health issues for patients and their caregivers.

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Telehealth nurses provide nursing care by
1.) Nursing protocols and algorithms, guidelines to assess patient systems systematically.
2.) Collaborating and developing a plan of care with family and patient.
3.) Being able to prioritize patient care needs emergent or non-emergent.
4.) Recommendations of care by education and call back instructions.
5.)Evaluation of outcomes.

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How can Telehealth help engage patient involvement?

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How can Telehealth help engage patient involvement?

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With the telehealth technologies, patients are taking more control of their health and well-being. Through education videos, health apps on mobile devices and online health support learning systems patients are better able to maintain control over their condition.
List some other ways that  patient can be engaged?

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What do you think the Pros and Cons are for Patients using Telehealth?

Have you or anyone you know experienced a Telehealth system? If so, what was the experience like.

In the next 10 years, do you think the use of the telehealth system will expand? Why or why not?

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List some chronic conditions that can be managed and care provided  through telehealth?

There are many conditions and disease processes that will will require long-term monitoring and evaluation. Some of the patients had to travel great distances for access care for their condition.

One study measured telehealth access to patients that perform clean intermittent catheterization. The patient was able to Skype a nurse if they needed assistance in with the task.

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Telehealth Changing the future of health care delivery

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Telehealth Changing the future of health care delivery

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What 5 ways will telehealth influence healthcare?

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De Souza-Junior, V., Mendes, I., Mazzo, A., & De Godoy, S. (2017). Telenursing Intervention for Clean Intermittent Urinary Catheterization Patients: A Pilot Study. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 35(12), 653-660. doi:10.1097/CIN.0000000000000370

Telehealth, Telemedicine and Telecare: What's What? (2015, December 11). Retrieved May 22, 2019, from https://www.fcc.gov/general/telehealth-telemedicine-and-telecare-whats-what

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Technologies  used for Tele health. Can you list any others?

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Technologies  used for Tele health. Can you list any others?

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Mobile Health
Video and Audio
Digital Photography
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Video Conferencing