Necessity, it’s often said, is the mother of invention, and while telehealth has been around for many years, the COVID-19 pandemic brought it to the forefront of healthcare delivery. Fortunately, telehealth isn’t a mere remedial tool to span gaps in the delivery of care; rather, it has proven to be a robust and vital resource across the continuum of care. It’s here to stay—and it will transform the care landscape.
Telehealth offers significant benefits for residents, caregivers and facilities alike:
Of course, the various telehealth modalities offer physicians and LTPAC organizations different ways to deliver treatment, as well as collect and analyze data. In the end, this helps caregivers better manage a resident’s overall health.
RELATED RESOURCE: Telehealth for LTPAC Organizations: Best Practices for Enhancing Clinical Outcomes
Telehealth and Rural Facilities – A New Day for Enhanced Outcomes
Telehealth is a useful treatment tool in any setting where caregiver and resident are physically separated. Yet, it truly stands out in rural areas and will be a key driver of enhanced outcomes for years to come.
Recently, critical access hospitals have had their funding cut, while Medicaid expansion has only been adopted in 20-plus states. That means there’s less money for immediate healthcare in rural areas. In the past, many physicians in rural areas had to make long drives just to get to a skilled nursing facility, or see home health patients—and more often than not, they did so on a minimal schedule.
Likewise, rural residents and often their loved ones were compelled to drive long distances – sometimes hundreds of miles – to access their doctor or to receive care at a hospital when physicians were in their area.
With telehealth, there’s no longer a need for a resident or their loved one to schedule an appointment well in advance, then make a long, arduous trip and potentially risk exposure to COVID-19 or other illnesses. They simply jump online and have unimpeded access to their caregiver.
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