Page 31 Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring RPM for Long Termand Post Acute Care A Primer and Provider Selection Guide 2013

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procedures to protect EPHI from improper
alteration or destruction.”
• Program Support
Program Support includes the internal
requirements to set-up, operate and maintain
the support of the telehealth program within
organizations as well as the ongoing support
provided by the vendor selected. Not only is it
critical for organizations to understand their
infrastructure options and requirements but it
is important to understand the level of clinical
expertise needed to operate the program,
availability of such expertise internally or
from care partners and any clinical support
services offered by the vendor (if applicable).
It is also critical to understand the burden of
support that will be expected by any internal
IT support staff or development resources to
support the ongoing program.
Another key consideration regarding support
is the level of support the vendor provides to
the customer, including technical support.
Keep organizational operating hours and
access in mind. For example, if an organization
operates seven days a week it is important • Remember the Future
to match those operating hours with vendor
support availability.
• Budget Considerations
There are many items to think about when
creating a budget for telehealth including per- select a vendor partner that can support, grow
unit cost, software and user-licensure cost,
ongoing maintenance and repairs, staffing, and
training to name a few. One additional budget
issue rarely planned up front is the changes
to work flow that impact staff training and
accountabilities. Organizations often overlook
LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)
the fact that existing staff with current job
assignments often do not appreciate how their
work will change (for example, how staff will
input new data, how messages will be shared
with the health care team, how much new data
will be incoming, etc.).
There are several different models of
agreements and fee requirements available
from vendors, including purchase or lease
of hardware and software. Consider the
long-term and short-term advantages and
disadvantages of these different options
when considering purchase versus lease
options. Technology changes very rapidly and
understanding the opportunities included
in upgrades and replacements are critical to
future success. Keep an eye out for hidden
costs not only with the telehealth unit,
but other items such as additional staffing
requirements because of lack of operational
efficiencies in the software, maintenance,
repair, lost units, fees associated with ordering
new units and any training fees for additional
or replacement staff.
Be a visionary when it comes to telehealth
in general and in particular within your
organization. Telehealth programs evolve over
time due to the changing landscape of health
care, market and technology; it is critical to
and change with your organization’s needs.