COVID-19 has forced physicians to look for solutions for seeing patients outside of their normal practice. Fortunately, telemedicine and telehealth have been around a while and many doctor's are already set up to provide this care. If you are looking to help your practice and your patients with this technology, or could use a few pointers, the American Medical Association has provided this article to help you set up both telemedicine and telehealth. This information is informative and up-to-date.
In addition here are a few tips to make your telemedicine calls successful:
1. Use a High Quality Web Cam
Your call will only be as good as your equipment. You want to be able to clearly see your patient and whatever their visual symptoms may be. Patients will be comforted if they can clearly see your expressions, and will respond more positively.
2. Hard Wire Your Internet Connection and Use Power Cords
Wired connections are more stable, so use an ethernet cable instead of wifi whenever possible. You don't want to be in the middle of an appointment, possibly diagnosing your patient, and have the power die. So use power cords instead of depending on batteries that may not be fully charged.
3. Find Tools to Help With Your Workflow
Dragon Speech Recognition will help with creating patient notes quicker so the increased volume of calls will flow smoothly. Research the latest in telehealth technology to be able to move thru your appointments and give your patients what they need. Updated computer hardware will help with newer technologies and the requirements to be efficient.
4. Choose a Quiet Space with Good Lighting
Set up your telemedicine office in a quiet room where you will not have distractions. Physicians are required to ensure patient privacy and it is crucial to a professional telemedicine visit. Making sure your lighting is sufficient is fundamental so that there is no frustration on the patient's part as they communicate with you.
This COVID-19 pandemic is here to stay for a while. Change can make things more efficient and even guide us into better ways of doing business. Researching your needs with your patients in mind will assure a smoother transition for days to come.
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