There has been some valuable discussions happening regarding telemedicine and telehealth's future success. I have been reading many articles and discussions about professional viewpoints dealing with cost, human touch, and technology advancement needed to counterbalance the decline in actual health care providers. I suggest one reading the current article titled, "Telemedicine Dilemma: Savings Or Healing Hands More Important?" by Paul Cerrato, Editor of InformationWeek Healthcare who says how "Telemedicine has two sides, cutting costs and giving some patients access......., but depriving others of the hands-on human contact they need." Another interesting article to read is "Connected Health: Technology First or People?" by Joseph Kvedar, MD where he interestingly says "I think the right healthcare slogan should be......, “technology when you want it, people when you don’t.” But our charge as connected health entrepreneurs is to create solutions that offer our patients such a compelling experience that they choose technology over people, whenever it makes sense."
I encourage also reading discussions on your professional sites such as LinkedIn.
After some exploration on this topic though, I now seem only to have more questions!
Where is the whole healthcare team in the discussion of telehealth? What are our changing roles going to be to help telehealth become a productive tool for our patients and our communities? How will we truly know the answers to important "patient-driven care need" questions if we don't explore further with whom we are to assist? Shouldn't we ask the patient what works for them? Are we exposing patients to different products that could match their needs? Can everyone - that is, all healthcare professionals - help their patients move to a plan of care that provides independence with self-care using technology as another valuable tool? And can't we blend in the "human factor" when services are needed to maintain optimum care?
Does technology really need to be an all or nothing healthcare tool? It is a "tool", right?
What are your thoughts? What are your questions?
copyright 2012 Kim Kozina Evanoski, MPA, LMSW - Care Manage For All
I encourage also reading discussions on your professional sites such as LinkedIn.
After some exploration on this topic though, I now seem only to have more questions!
Where is the whole healthcare team in the discussion of telehealth? What are our changing roles going to be to help telehealth become a productive tool for our patients and our communities? How will we truly know the answers to important "patient-driven care need" questions if we don't explore further with whom we are to assist? Shouldn't we ask the patient what works for them? Are we exposing patients to different products that could match their needs? Can everyone - that is, all healthcare professionals - help their patients move to a plan of care that provides independence with self-care using technology as another valuable tool? And can't we blend in the "human factor" when services are needed to maintain optimum care?
Does technology really need to be an all or nothing healthcare tool? It is a "tool", right?
What are your thoughts? What are your questions?
copyright 2012 Kim Kozina Evanoski, MPA, LMSW - Care Manage For All
RSS Feed
