The way that healthcare is delivered is changing. The traditional approach to treating a patient is evolving to encompass health it best practices. New technologies and solutions for increased patient engagement, collaboration and more are finding their way into a care team’s “black bag” of tools.
What it is, is simple – telemedicine is the transmission of data, voice, images and video over distances using video conferencing, web applications, mobile computing and smart phone technologies.
What it offers, is transformative:
- Decision support in the ward through learning management systems and PDAs
- Information capturing at the bedside through smart phones
- Wound care at a distance
- Real-time sharing of images among providers
- Patient self-management through remote monitoring for chronic illnesses
These are just a few of the many benefits of integrating telemedicine into healthcare delivery. While any process change for a healthcare facility is initially disruptive, solid preparation, education and training can definitely ease the process along – with the end result being well worth it. In a survey of healthcare leaders by Foley and Lardner LLP about the prospects for improved patient care and streamlined operations through telemedicine advancements, 84 percent of respondents felt that the development of telemedicine services is either very important (52 percent) or important (32 percent) to their organizations.
In this short video, Albert Ferreira, Senior Manager of Healthcare Solutions at Iron Bow Technologies, discusses one of the remaining challenges of integrating Telehealth solutions into every day healthcare delivery.
