Page 5 Shaping Your Telehealth Strategy 2014 Ernst & Young LLP

Building a sustainable Exhibit 3. Telehealth engagement channels
telehealth program

Designing a highly reliable, cost-effi cient and
sustainable telehealth program begins with Clinical services
understanding the market, including engagement
channels and their interrelationships. Patients

Three channels of engagement Infrastructure synergies
A sound telehealth program considers three
overlapping and mutually reinforcing channels
for market engagement — patients, providers Digital communication
and communities — all of which are enabled Providers Communities
by infrastructure synergies (see Exhibit 3).
Synchronous and asynchronous approaches, Physician referrals and consultation
along with digital communication media, offer
technologies that can be applied across channels,
establishing stronger market penetration and
economics. Telehealth programs are more likely to Source: EY, 2014.
succeed when they integrate appropriate services
across channels to build multi-faceted relationships
with patients, referring physicians and health as e-trauma, can extend clinical knowledge to 1. Know your market
system partners. remote locations to inform critical decision-making. Scan external trends to understand telehealth
Patients: clinical services Communities: digital communication growth opportunities, economic return and
execution risk. Consider:
Telehealth technologies, from e-visits to at-a- For communities, telehealth leverages pervasive
distance monitoring and consultation, extend technologies to enable cost-effective, timely • Macro trends. Assess market size, competitors
the traditional practice of medicine to remote communications among patients and providers. and their value propositions, as well as
patients — at a cost far below that of visits to These may include patient portals to provide reimbursement and other industry trends that
a physician, emergency department or urgent advice and answer questions, internet-based impact telehealth delivery.
care center. These “virtual house calls” are clinical content delivered to patients through • Technology trends. Analyze the range of
particularly critical for patients who live in rural emails and links to support patient education, or telehealth solutions and supporting technologies
and underserved areas. social media to offer lifestyle guidance tailored to available in the market, including their
For patients with chronic diseases, home-based disease management groups. requirements, potential for integration with
monitoring devices can easily capture and transmit current systems, and security parameters.
over the internet clinical data such as blood The point of intersection: infrastructure • Customer trends. Capture the stratifi cation
pressure or glucose levels, helping to prevent synergies of patient and clinician needs and telehealth
avoidable hospitalizations and support patient All channels are fueled by infrastructure synergies opportunities along traditional lines —
self-management. that provide connectivity with electronic health demographic, disease and geographic — from
the perspectives of patients, providers
Providers: physician referrals and records (EHRs) and enable communications and payers.
among care facilities, referring physicians and
consultations patients. They also provide the link to population- • Channel analysis. Explore go-to-market and
For providers, e-consults are enabled by store- based management databases and other health access channel differences by comparing
and-forward technologies. These technologies care analytic functions to measure value in the the alignment of care delivery and fi nancing
electronically transmit prerecorded videos and form of the “Triple Aim” metrics: better care for stakeholders. Identify win-win perspectives and
digital images, such as X-rays, video clips and individuals, better health for populations and lower channels that align value preferences.
photos, between primary care providers and costs for health care overall.
medical specialists. Health professionals can 2. Set your strategic intent
consult and collaborate virtually with patients Defi ne what telehealth success means to your
and other clinicians, regardless of geographic organization, including:
location. The result is a cost-effective alternative Taking it step by step
to physician offi ce visits, increasing provider • Community needs. Conduct a needs assessment
caseloads without increasing their workloads. Highlighted below are the four key phases and to identify and prioritize potential telehealth
activities that will match gaps in services.
corresponding steps of telehealth program
Such remote monitoring services as the e-ICU development, all designed to lead to a scalable, Identify how your telehealth program will
provide real-time alerts and notifi cations that fi nancially viable enterprise solution. provide a solution to current challenges — for
can signifi cantly improve patient outcomes while example, by reducing avoidable readmissions,
reducing resource use, while other services, such helping patients keep their chronic

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