Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare· 2020Q1
Telehealth for global emergencies: Implications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- 1,877citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2020year
Short summary
To effectively leverage telehealth in emergencies like COVID-19, it must be integrated into routine healthcare systems through flexible funding, workforce training, and redesigned care models.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Telehealth is crucial for reducing cross-contamination risks in pandemics like COVID-19.
- For effective emergency response, telehealth must become a routinely integrated part of the health system.
- Key requirements for mainstreaming telehealth include flexible funding, workforce training, and accreditation.
- Significant management effort and redesign of care models are necessary for telehealth adoption.
- Proactive implementation of telehealth yields greater long-term benefits for both routine and emergency healthcare challenges.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is again reminding us of the importance of using telehealth to deliver care, especially as means of reducing the risk of cross-contamination caused by close contact. For telehealth to be effective as part of an emergency response it first needs to become a routinely used part of our health system. Hence, it is time to step back and ask why telehealth is not mainstreamed. In this article, we highlight key requirements for this to occur. Strategies to ensure that telehealth is used regularly in acute, post-acute and emergency situations, alongside conventional service delivery methods, include flexible funding arrangements, training and accrediting our health workforce. Telehealth uptake also requires a significant change in management effort and the redesign of existing models of care. Implementing telehealth proactively rather than reactively is more likely to generate greater benefits in the long-term, and help with the everyday (and emergency) challenges in healthcare.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 2020 · DOI ↗
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Field: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational HealthMedicine