Telemedicine Technology Use Plan

Brenda Janot

Telemedicine Coordinator

Rationale

A well designed technology use plan for telemedicine education, creates and integrates a rich educational environment to train medical staff and transmit health information to rural populations.

Telemedicine Planning Team

Resident PhysciansJunior and Senior SpecialistsNursing and Paramedical ProfessionalsTelemedicine CoordinatorsIT Personnel Graduating Medical StudentsCommunity Stakeholders

The planning team will gain knowledge to promote access for delivering quality health care, infusing telecommunication and technology to improve future workforce development.

Process Description

Form a telemedicine planning team

Actively participate in bi-monthly meetings

Research and design technology use plan based on needs assessment

Incorporate American Technology standards and guidelines

Develop Goals and Objectives for strategic teaching/learning, maintenance support, infrastructure, configuration, and grant funding

Assess interconnectivity, interoperability, and investment

Establish an action timeline for planning, implementation, and evaluation

Vision Statement

Our vision is to link communities together for health using telemedicine technology standards and excellence improving health care to rural populations regardless of distance or geography.

Our GoalTo improve the health of rural populations as a recognized

leader in the adoption of telemedicine applications and provider of telehealth information services

ObjectivesLong Term Objective- Urge lawmakers in the House and Senate to invest in a digital infrastructure as part of the recovery plan

Impact Objective- Reduce health care costs by delivering quality health information to rural service providers and communities

Process Objective- Ensure the accomplishment of connectivity from the HUB site to rural sites and establish a Telehealth network system

ActivitiesEstablish an operational budget for financial expenditures to support the telemedicine programCreate a network infrastructure and conduct a readiness audit, establish a Telehealth asset inventory, provide maintenance and supportProvide a Telemedicine Reference Manual, and Curriculum Educational training at HUB and rural sites, establishing on going communications and scheduling projectsFoster Staff Development by providing capacity building activities on telemedicine training and health education programmingHealth professionals will be fully licensed and registered according to district, state and national standardsHealth professionals will be required to provide proper credentialing and will be aware of the locus of accountability when practicing Telehealth in another jurisdiction

Needs Assessment

Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) will take place after visioning and before strategic planning.The plan will effectively engage the communityThe plan will be grounded in local public health practiceThe telemedicine public health system will include contributions from the local public health sectorThe Telemedicine Technology Integration survey will be assessed to ensure proper instruction and learning of telehealth serviceshttp://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHFEMGYxX3cyNWFnYkN5enBKc1ZQSGc6MA

Staff DevelopmentStaff development is a fundamental component to meet the strategic needs of the telemedicine program

Bi-monthly educational opportunities available at the HUB and rural site locations

Incorporate web training opportunities to assist rural staff with specific health care issues in the community

Cross train telemedicine staff at HUB and rural sites to meet the needs of communication and scheduling projects

Continuous technology integration improvements will be adjusted to improve the Telemedicine learning environment

Provide research based rationale to improve staff learning experiences and synthesize Telehealth instruction

Hold regular meetings and planning sessions between Telemedicine team and stakeholders to address staff development needs

Telemedicine Program Evaluation

Identify StakeholdersCreate a telemedicine logic model for resources, implementation and stages of developmentEvaluation Design purpose is to satisfy end user (rural doctors and community) Greater credible evidence, to measures, educational effectiveness ,health outcomes andpatient satisfaction Justify conclusions using analysis and recommendations consistent with values of stakeholdersFeedback, address positive and negative findings, follow-up and dissemination with stakeholders

TimelinePhased Implementation

2009- Build out the telecommunications infrastructure and install videoconferencing equipment

2010- Install all of the medical devices and configure with telecommunication infrastructure. Test the business and operational models under optimum conditions

2009-2010-Provide training to telemedicine coordinators and a limited number of professionals in the use of telemedicine devices and the system. The telemedicine team will serve as mentors at the HUB and rural sites and organize instruction to other professionals as the plan is implemented.