Zack Tisch, Senior Director of Strategic Implementation, and five other telehealth experts shared their expertise in a recent article from Healthcare IT News. Below, see what Zack had to say about how healthcare CIOs and other IT leaders can successfully launch new telemedicine programs.
Align the Approach with Organizational Strategy
When implementing telemedicine programs, healthcare provider organizations must align the telemedicine approach with organizational strategy, said Zachary Tisch, senior director, strategic implementation, at Pivot Point Consulting and a consultant who specializes in telemedicine.
“In our engagements with clients that have truly transformed their delivery model through the use of a variety of telemedicine solutions, the common thread has been having laser focus and tight alignment between the overall organizational goals and how telemedicine technologies or services can help support those goals,” Tisch recalled.
“Too often organizations focus on the technology, but at the end of the day to drive utilization it is important to understand the use-cases and patient flow patterns in your marketplace,” he said.
For example, organizations with a large rural patient catchment area have benefitted from using telemedicine to provide services typically not available in rural settings such as sub-specialist outpatient care (for instance, electrophysiology services to evaluate pacemaker or implanted defibrillator patients via telemedicine) or acute care (for instance, tele-stroke program to evaluate emergency department patients for stroke).
Final Thoughts on Implementing Telemedicine Programs
“Performing an initial market analysis, both in the community and directly with patients, is critical to determining when and where to roll out telemedicine or virtual visit programs,” said Tisch.
“Simply launching the technology will not drive the benefits most organizations are looking for. It is critical to focus on particular use-cases and service lines with a direct marketing focus around those use-cases, such as a virtual video visit to be evaluated for the flu, decongesting the emergency room and urgent cares.”
