Training and champions

Why is this important?

“There’s that many people doing that many different things and people don’t understand what telehealth’s about; they don’t see it as important.”

“With any change you’ve always got a little bit of resistance... but I think its sort of just explaining the benefits of it... the benefits to the patient and the benefits to the staff.”

Key steps

  • Provide on-going training and support for the practice of delivering care remotely as well as how to use equipment and technology

  • Establish dedicated local telehealth champions to engage staff and help share and spread success

  • Work in partnership with frontline staff to address emerging barriers to adoption

Ideas for staff training and support

  • Have a dedicated contact for support

  • Share good practice

  • Use local champions

  • Debunk myths

  • Increase understanding

  • Learn through experience

  • Provide training

  • Share patient stories

Key topics to cover in staff training

  • How do I know if a patient is suitable for telehealth?

  • How do I refer a patient?

  • How do I review a patient to know if they are benefiting from telehealth?

  • How long should I use telehealth with a patient for?

  • When and how do I discharge a patient from telehealth?

  • How do I introduce telehealth to patients?

  • What is the process for taking consent from patients?

  • How long does it take for telehealth to be installed?

  • Who will install telehealth and provide training and technical support?

  • What monitoring can I do with telehealth?

  • How do I tailor monitoring to individual patients?

  • How do I set and change parameters (eg patient’s weight range)?

  • Can I change how frequently patients are monitored?

  • Who do I contact with technical queries?

  • What is the process for monitoring patients and responding to alerts?

  • How do I access patient readings and trends?

  • How do I share this information with other clinical providers?

  • When do I need to look at patients’ readings or alerts?

  • How will I know if a patient needs clinical input or is deteriorating?

  • What do we enter on the patient electronic record about telehealth?