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Five tips for launching a successful virtual care program

May 15, 2019
Health IT

2. Evaluate your network and communications infrastructure needs.
To communicate remotely with a patient or healthcare provider, a virtual care system may use video, voice and/or data — and sometimes all three, often in real time. These communications can be transmitted via Internet cable or DSL connection, or a cellular or satellite network. To optimize your network and communications infrastructure, involve your IT staff early in the procurement process.

If your virtual care network is cloud-based, consider interoperability and backup features. Also plan scenarios for emergencies and natural disasters. If your Internet and cellular networks are down, satellite may be your only option to keep communications open.
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Something else that can be helpful at this stage is asking other healthcare organizations about their virtual care systems. Find out what has and hasn’t worked for them. You can also check industry analyst reports, trade association recommendations, and even user feedback on social media.

3. Make security and compliance a priority.
Security and HIPAA compliance are always critical in healthcare IT, but especially so with telemedicine. Work with your IT team to address these security parameters:
• Physical access. Controlling access to devices, data and storage is a vital but often challenging area in virtual care. Why? Because telemedicine equipment can be used across a range of locations and settings with many potential users.
• Devices. Because virtual care can involve personal mobile phones and medical devices outside the provider’s control, you’ll need to consider extra security measures for these vulnerabilities.
• Network. Both perimeter protections and robust inner network security are critical – both to stop attackers from entering the network and to detect them when they’re already inside.
• User access. Multifactor authentication, password policies and "bring your own device" (BYOD) policies will all play a role in virtual care programs. Your system’s identity authentication criteria need to protect your assets while providing a seamless user experience — an especially important consideration in emergency situations.

4. Commit to ongoing training and support.
Even the most intuitive virtual care system will require training. Make sure that your medical staff, caregivers, emergency response personnel and patients get the right instruction and onboarding so they can use the telemedicine solutions effectively. Providers need to learn how to provide clinical care using the software and equipment, while patients must understand how to navigate virtual consults on their devices. If some of your patients aren’t fluent in English, you’ll need a virtual care solution that can overcome linguistic barriers, as well as human interpreters who can work with clinical staff. Cultural awareness training can also help your team maximize care plan effectiveness.

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